Second Chances
by Aeria Swordlancer
Summary: Jellal Fernandez has everything that one needs to lead a good life; money, power, fame and comfort. But, beneath this thick layer of riches and behind the oppressive walls of his mansion, he leads a life that suffocates him to the core. Will a certain primary school teacher be able to extricate him from this monotonous and gloomy life? Pairings- Jerza, NaLu, Gruvia
1. Two Distant Worlds

**Hey there everyone! This is my first fanfic. You can say that the story prompted me to pick up my quill (well technically the keyboard) and type it all out. The characters may seem a bit OOC because this is an AU story with a different set of circumstances surrounding the characters. So forgive me if that irks you too much. Hopefully, I have made up for that with the plot.**

**SUMMARY- Jellal Fernandez, the richest bachelor in Fiore has everything that one needs to lead a good life; money, power, fame and comfort. But beneath this thick layer of riches and behind the oppressive walls of his mansion, he leads a life that suffocates him to the core; troubled relations with a spoiled half-sister and an agonizing past; will a certain primary school teacher be able to break him free from this monotonous and gloomy life and bring the much needed warmth? Pairings- Jerza, NaLu, Gruvia**

**Alas! I do not own Fairy Tail. This franchise belongs to Hiro Mashima and I'm nothing but a crazy fan who satisfies herself and other fans through these fics. Coz technically, if the manga would have belonged to me, Jellal and Erza would have had twenty kids by now and Gray would have made the move.**

* * *

**-CHAPTER ONE-**

**Two Distant Worlds  
**

* * *

As the soft breeze blew in through the massive windows, ruffling a few pages that danced furiously against the wind, Jellal Fernandez awoke with a start, the right side of his face depressed slightly, owing to the hand that he had fallen asleep on. He blinked about four to five times, eyes looking out of the window ahead in wonder, before realising that he'd been in the middle of scribbling something into his diary when fatigue had taken the better of him. He looked at the fluttering pages and sighed, his mind wandering back to the incident that had occurred a few hours ago.

It was then that the gravity of the situation fell down upon him with a weight he was sure he couldn't handle even if his life depended on it. _Why_?_ Why me? Why my family? _He buried his face into his hands and bit back the urge to howl into the darkness ahead.

No.

He had to put a leash on these strong emotions that were threatening to run wild, promising to wreak havoc upon a life that had already been weakened by complications of a thousand kinds. He already had a million responsibilities upon his shoulders, and being the head of the Fernandez Group of Industries, he'd to focus on taking his grandfather's and father's dream to new heights. He'd to learn how to keep his emotions in, well bottled up, the seal never to be broken. Ever.

He cast a glance at the paragraph that he'd taken hours to write and shut the diary immediately. There was no point continuing. It was the same bullshit he wrote everyday; work-meetings-business trip-work-meetings-end. His life had begun to acquire an uncanny resemblance to a record stuck in a loop; there had never been a choice of entry, and there could never be an exit. He was lodged deep into this monotonous rut, and there was nothing he could do to escape from it. This was his destiny. This was his death.

He looked out of the window ahead and gazed at the stars that shone brightly in the night sky. For a few seconds, he was so enamoured by their sheer beauty that he forgot about everything else in the world; his family, his business, the meeting tomorrow- everything and anything that gave some definition to his mundane existence. He was one with the celestial bodies, searching in them, traces of that one woman who had made him what he was today, giving him the much needed strength to sail through the myriad problems that had threatened to bring his life to a standstill. Yet, the woman who had been his pillar of support through some of the most turbulent years of his life, adorning a warm smile in the midst of misery and solitude, could never touch his face again or playfully ruffle his hair- signs that had assured him, promised him of a better future when he had no hope to hold onto.

He looked for his mother in them.

Even a small reflection would do, Jellal thought, pleaded rather, as he desperately scanned the dark sky for familiar signs. After a minute of futile searching, he gave in and laughed at his own stupidity. It's funny how desperation and stress can make a man do things that he would otherwise never do. He gave a slight smile and dived into the realm of pleasant memories when a sharp knock at the door shattered the trance that he had fallen into. He jerked his head and turned to look at the door with anxiety written all over his face.

"Come in!" he said, and a timid looking domestic peeped in through the tiny gap in the door.

"I am s-sorry to interrupt you at t-this point of time s-sir but," she was out of breath and looked terribly frightened.

"M-madam Lucy has, well, er, M-madam L-Lucy has woken up and she is a-agitated and uhm-"

That did it.

Before the young lady could even attempt to complete her sentence, Jellal had risen from his chair and dashed past the stunned woman, his skin, pallid and cold within a beat.

He galloped down the lavish hall that ran outside his study and headed straight for the staircase, his heart pounding furiously against his chest. Ornate statues and antiques sprinted past him as he passed door after door before reaching his destination, his mind and body, a terrible wreck of nerves.

Beyond the closed door that led into his younger sister's room, Jellal could hear the sound of shattering glasses and heavy objects being thrown against the wall.

"Lucy!" Jellal gasped, panic seizing his heart. His palms were sweaty after the run and his throat was parched, making it all the more difficult for him to voice his thoughts "Open the door!"

There was no response. The crash and bangs continued, this time, with renewed momentum.

"Lucy! I said open the door!" Jellal could feel his chest constricting all of a sudden, causing him to pant heavily. This was certainly not the first time that his sister had decided to vent her frustration on objects nearby. There had been several occasions in the past where Lucy had locked herself in and practically demolished her room, leaving not a shard in one piece in her vicinity. Every time that she decided to channelize her pent up emotions through means that could do more harm than good, Jellal would lose his sanity, his heart beat ascending to levels never achieved before. The young lady was perfectly capable of hurting herself badly on such occasions, and given that she was already broken and beaten, Jellal wanted nothing more than to get into the room and keep his sister from harm's way.

"LUCY! I BEG OF YOU! _OPEN THE DAMN DOOR_!"

Again, no response. The demolition, it seemed, had stopped, but Lucy did not bother opening the door. Many of her maids now crammed around Jellal, whispering worriedly and casting nervous glances at their employer who had paled considerably.

"GO AWAY! I DON'T NEED ANYONE! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Came his sister's reply, jerky with emotions. A loud sniff followed the outburst.

Jellal cursed under his breath and tapped gently on the door.

"Lucy, please understand. You're not in good shape. The nurse needs to put some fresh bandages and check your temperature. Please open the door."

"WHY DON'T YOU FRIGGIN' UNDERSTAND? I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP. JUST GET THE HELL OUT OF MY LIFE! YOU'RE NOT DOING ANY GOOD TO ME BY BEING AROUND! GET LOST FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE!"

The maids around shivered in fright upon hearing their mistress's disconcerted howl. Jellal, on the other hand, dropped his eyes and braced his elbow against the door. Something heavy seemed to have fallen into the pit of his stomach.

"Alright Lucy," he said, letting out a shuddering sigh. "I tried being polite, but it seems you won't understand." Turning towards one of the maids, he whispered,

"Get Sebastian and the nurse right away."

The stout woman, who was carrying a hand towel and some bandages, bowed hurriedly and set off to fulfil her master's orders. Within a minute, Sebastian, Lucy's colossal bodyguard rushed to the scene, closely followed by the nurse who had been appointed to look after her.

"How may I help you sir?" asked Sebastian, his gentle tone, a complete contrast to his enormous girth.

"Sebastian, break the door open for me, please."

Without a word, Sebastian nodded and immediately braced himself against the door. With one mighty pull and three barrelling thrusts, the lock had broken and the door swung in, revealing a completely destroyed room. The mirror on the dressing table had shattered to pieces, and the curtains hung torn and askew at the large windows. The bed sheet had been ripped off as well, and fragments from what had once been an ornate vase, lay scattered on the floor.

"_Lucy_!" Jellal whispered in urgency, as he spotted his younger sister crouched at the foot of her bed, her knees drawn to her face and her bandages draped in blood.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" he dashed forward and grabbed her by the shoulders, only to be pushed back furiously by the young blonde.

Lucy Heartfilia Fernandez, Jellal's younger half-sister, raised her head slowly, her eyes swollen and the bandage that had been wrapped around her forehead, ripped from the side. Blood dripped down the side of her face, staining the collar of her night robe.

"I thought I asked you to stay away from me, Jellal Fernandez. Are you deaf or are you simply a sadist who loves seeing me in pain?" she said in an icy tone, her eyes narrowed, radiating nothing but pure hatred.

Jellal winced inwardly.

He could tolerate almost anything venomous. Years of practice, patience and persistence had made him immune to hatred, curses and insults of any sort, but, whenever his sister would look at him with pure loath in her eyes and utter those harsh words, he would become a pitiful mound of flesh with a searing pain in his chest.

"Lucy, please… try to understand. You're not in a good condition. You need to have some medicine and go to sleep," he cast a quick glance at the nurse who nodded and brought in some tablets and a glass of water. He grabbed the glass and placed the tablets on the palm of his left hand. Cautiously, he pushed his hand forward, his muscles tense, expecting the young woman to do something; to rebel or to push his hand away.

And it happened, indeed. Lucy's face contorted in fury and she slapped the glass away with a ferocity that her current physical condition couldn't have permitted her to have. It fell on the floor with a loud crash, spraying shards all across the tiled surface.

"Lucy-"

"STOP IT, WILL YOU? STOP FEIGNING CONCERN!" she roared, her eyes livid. Her breath came in short, urgent bursts, yet, she persevered to get her point across.

"You've destroyed my life Jellal Fernandez! You and that mother of yours! Look at what I've become today! All because you're never there when I needed you the most, and now you come to me with that bloody oh-I-am-so-worried-about-you face as if it really matters to you! As if anything here matters to you! And your bloody mother! It was because of her that _my _mother never got her share and she hung herself! You're a bloody murderer!" Lucy spit it out in a single breath, her chest heaving and her eyes wild.

The venom that she had spit stung Jellal with so much ferocity that he could not breath for a few seconds. He looked at his sister for a few moments, his mouth agape, as the room around turned eerily quiet. The maids had all paled and Sebastian looked away in shame, his enormous shoulders almost sinking to the ground.

When Jellal could not manage to think of anything to say that could pacify the situation (and there really wasn't any way in hell that he could handle a situation that had gone too awry to be fixed), Jellal looked at the nurse and nodded. The young lady hurried off to get the injection from the side table as Sebastian grabbed Lucy by her shoulders, straightening her right arm for the nurse to access.

"What the hell are you doing Sebastian?" Lucy revolted, struggling against the strong grip. Occasionally, she sent a look of detestation towards Jellal, trying furiously to wriggle herself free from the strong grip that locked her in place. Unfortunately for her, Sebastian was a monster, and she, nothing but a fragile doll under his potent hold. Before she could even curse her bodyguard or attempt to spit at him, the nurse slipped an injection up her sleeves and Lucy's eyes drooped, her body becoming limper by the second.

"I'll never forgive-" she mumbled, before her head dropped and she slipped into deep slumber. Sebastian picked her up gently and put her on her bed.

"I'll handle everything from here, thank you, Sebastian," said Jellal, reaching for the blanket and pulling it over his sister's battered body.

"It is my duty, sir," Sebastian said, bowing again. "Please call me whenever you need me, sir," with this, he quickly retreated, his shaggy mane bouncing off behind his back as he hurried away, perhaps, too embarrassed to stay in the room after all of what had occurred. The maids too shuffled nervously, looking from the young mistress to the master with uncertainty.

"You may leave as well," breathed Jellal. "However, two of you will stay here with Lucy in her room and tend to her. You will be here as well Miss. Stroker," he looked up at the nurse. "Don't leave her side even for a second."

Three women stayed back while the other maids rushed out of the room.

Jellal looked down at his sister's sleeping form as the nurse brought in some fresh bandages and began tending to Lucy's wounds. A small, yet painful smile spread across his lips as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"_Everything will be fine," _he said under his breath and quickly left the room, lest the maids spot that single tear that had finally rolled down his cheek.

* * *

Erza Scarlet put down her pen and stretched her limbs. A tiny yawn escaped her lips as she massaged her face thoroughly with her fingers. It had been a long day at work and she desperately needed some rest. After all, being a primary school teacher was not a job to be taken lightly. It needed effort, patience and lots of dedication.

_What a day, _whispered Erza, a tender smile playing on her lips as she remembered the adorable faces of the children she taught. Sam, Yukina, Adrian and the plump Eric. Everybody in the class was much adored by her, and she would love to tend to their little needs and fancies. After all, children were next to god, and being a primary school teacher, Erza got the opportunity to be next to these little gods in her life. There was nothing more that she could have asked for.

As Erza finished checking last of the copies, she got up gingerly and headed towards the washroom to brush her teeth and slip into her night dress. Somewhat predictably though, she was interrupted on her way to the bathroom when the doorbell rang, followed by a brash thump that was loud enough to wake the whole building.

"Oi Erza! Open up!"

Erza rolled her eyes and cursed under her breath.

"Damn Natsu," she mumbled. "Doesn't he realize I live in a civilized society? Why does he have to bang on the door after pressing the bell?"

Swiftly, she moved towards the door and opened it without much delay, lest Natsu decided to be the impatient twat that he was and break in. Peering through the door chain, she glared at her childhood friend who was busy munching on a burger, mayo spread all over his face.

"Heya!" he said, giving her a big, mischievous smile and waving two greasy fingers at her. "Won't you let me in?" his pink hair had been styled in a different manner today. Usually, he would keep it short and spiky. Today, it had been swept back to give him a surprisingly suave and sleek look.

"No, I won't," said Erza, folding her arms. "And what's up with this new hairstyle? Don't tell me you went out on a date today as well. Common Natsu, this is the third time this week!"

"Yeah, so what? Goes to show I've an amazing social life and-"

"_Third_ time this week with a _different_ woman," cut in Erza, almost in a bored fashion. This was a very essential feature of Mr Dragneel's social life.

Natsu snorted and ran his tongue over his lips.

"Let me in. I'll explain everything!" he pleaded.

Erza narrowed her eyes in suspicion, but let him in nevertheless. He elbowed past her as soon as she opened the door and dropped unceremoniously onto the couch, kicking his shoes in opposite directions and placing his legs on the table ahead.

"So?" Erza asked, standing before him with her arms still crossed. "You had some explaining to do."

"Oh yeah, the date," Natsu said, licking his fingers with ardour. "It was amazing!"

Erza rolled her eyes again. She'd expected that kind of an answer from the pink head, but she wasn't going to be kept hanging like that. She reached for her mobile phone on the table and went up to the image folder. An absolutely delightful picture of Natsu with heavy make up in a glittering pink and silver bikini, popped up on the screen.

"How about I show this to some of your _girlfriends,_ huh Natsu?" she asked teasingly, flashing the screen before his eyes with a smirk on her lips.

Natsu stopped with his wild munching the moment his eyes came to rest on the picture.

"What the-" he mumbled, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets. "_Holy…_where the _hell_ did you get _that_ from?"

Erza gave a loud 'ha!' and dodged at the nick of time, as Natsu flung at her to wrench the phone away in desperation.

"Erza…_please!"_

"Now, Now Natsu," the redhead said, her grin increasing in length, so that one end of her lips had almost reached her eyes.

"I wonder what your friends and _girlfriends_ would have to say about this leeettttiiillll photo shoot of yours. I mean, it's perfectly normal for models like you to pose like that, isn't it? I don't think your lovely girlfriend_s_ will have any problem with it, considering, you do look _sensational _here."

Natsu was at the verge of tears. His burger had been pushed aside, forgotten on the table, snatching the phone pushed up to being top priority.

"Only on one condition," Erza said then, pushing him away with a single shove. A Karate brown belt was not just for show, after all. It was enough to keep the strong male at bay.

Natsu pouted and gave up. "Alright,_ what_?"

"Good," said Erza, ruffling his hair. "Promise me that you'll stop being the cheap and pathetic flirt that you are (Natsu opened his mouth angrily to protest at the accusation). You'll not get anywhere if you keep playing around like that. You have a career to make Natsu," she added solemnly.

Natsu snorted and looked away.

"Spare me the lecture, Erza. It's my nature after all. It just…it just happens…whenever I see a sexy young woman, I just have these hormones running wild within me and-"

Erza cuffed his head and sighed deeply.

"Looks like you really won't change Natsu," she said, turning to look at the beautiful night sky that spread outside her window.

"These petty affairs aren't going to get you anywhere. Hopefully, there will be a time when a special someone comes into your life, changing the way you think about relationships," she said, her mind wandering back to that one person who had been her everything, right to the point where he had suddenly left without a letter or note, never to be seen again for nearly eight years.

"You shouldn't be the one talking," said Natsu, his tone venomous. His face had suddenly become rigid and taut. "Your so called love…no heck, your _life _left you to fend for yourself. I'm sure he's having fun somewhere with his own little harem. That good for nothing son of a-"

"That's enough Natsu," whispered Erza, fighting the urge to grab him by the collar and push him away. Something akin to fury rushed through her veins, making it impossible for her to put a leash on the aggression that was two seconds away from expressing itself through her limbs.

It was not his fault. Natsu was just being the considerate friend that he'd always been. There was only one thing that bothered him and managed to get on his nerves; Erza's sad, hopeless face that kept searching for her lover, day in and day out. From the look on his face, it was evident that if he were to ever come across the wretched man again, he would definitely break his bones and dig him up in a pit full of thorns somewhere.

"Why Erza?" the aspiring model said, anger visible in his eyes. _"Why_ can't I proceed to tell you just what that man is worth? Stop pretending like you don't know what he's up to at the moment! He left you without any knowledge on your wedding day! Your goddamn _wedding_ day Erza! What kind of explanation do you have for _that_?"

Erza fought back a tear and said, "Anything could have happened to him Natsu! Anything! He's probably in some grave danger right now and he's waiting for me to help him, to get him back-"

"BULLSHIT!" roared Natsu, his nostrils flaring.

"You say I'm a playboy, don't you, Erza? Heck yeah! I date many women but I don't force 'em! Nobody has ever been serious in these equations. But _that_ man! He was your everything and you were his everything! He decided to marry you with all the enthusiasm in this world and then chickened out at the last moment to run away with some other lass! I can bet my ass on this Erza! Didn't you have a look at those pictures before the wedding? You did. And you were foolish enough to go ahead with your marriage plans, as if nothing happened! You're to be blamed here as well!"

Erza's head dropped as the painful memories came back with a tremendous force and flooded her mind, hurting her to the point of torture. She sniffed as a lone tear trickled down her cheek, bringing with it, fragments of a painful memory that she'd thought she'd partially buried. She'd always believed that she'd been strong enough to fight back those memories, priding on her ability to face challenges headstrong and coming out of the storm with renewed determination. But, whenever these particular memories came back to her, she almost always buckled under their enormous weight and writhed on the floor in agony.

Natsu bit his lip and looked at his best friend guiltily. He'd gone too far as usual. He took a deep breath and wrapped his friend in his arms, pulling her in for a bear hug.

"Forgive me, Erza," he said softly, stroking her beautiful scarlet hair. "I'm a jerk of the highest order and I can't control my tongue when it comes to that man. Sorry for this. Sorry for everything. Again."

Erza buried her face deep into Natsu's chest and wiped her tears with a single flick of her finger.

"It's OK Natsu,' she said then, trying to pull her face up into a smile. "As a friend, it's natural for you to feel that way. I never have and never will blame you for anything," she raised her head and looked into his eyes, giving him a reassuring look. No matter how bad the situation was, Erza always managed to find some peace after getting a magical hug from her childhood best friend.

Natsu sighed in relief and suddenly snatched the phone out of Erza's hand. The movement was so fast that the red head did not have the time to react.

"What-"

"Ha! Got it!" beamed Natsu, jumping back a few steps and quickly deleting the photo from her mobile phone.

"And there goes the blackmail!" he declared, waving the phone in the air in triumph.

Erza placed her hands on her hips and pouted. She was glad the situation was back to normal again.

"Well, sorry to burst your bubble Natsu," she smirked. "-_but,_ I'm not the only one in possession of that beautiful masterpiece. I believe I sent it to a certain Cana Alberona the other day… and then Levy was asking for it as well." she pretended to tick off the names on her fingers.

Natsu's jaw dropped.

"Backstabber!" he mumbled, storming across the room to the dining table where some magazines lay scattered.

"Someday, I'm going to click an embarrassing picture of yours and post it on the soft board in your classroom. Your kids will probably run away and never come back to school again."

Erza gave out a tiny giggle and went ahead to wrap her hands around her friend's shoulders.

"We shall see."

Natsu gave a small 'hmph!' and started shuffling through the magazines on the table ahead. Erza watched his movements eagerly as he came across a copy of a famous business magazine and held it up, his eyes softening and reflecting something akin to admiration.

"You see that? This man?" he said, pointing at a blue haired man with a strange marking on the right side of his face, wearing an elegant suit on the cover page. She remembered reading the massive article on him in the magazine.

"Jellal Fernandez. Owner of the Fernandez group of industries," Natsu said reverently. "The richest man in Fiore! Girls will do anything to get a glimpse of him for real."

"I take he's your new role mode now?" Erza said with a smile, noticing the beautiful green eyes the man had.

"Well, kinda... I mean rich people Erza! They can do anything and everything! They have servants lined up at the foot of their beds and when they get up in the morning, one of them comes up with silk slippers and puts them under their feet so that they don't have to get them dirty on the floor. I wish _I _had that kind of life!" Natsu's eyes gleamed, as he looked up at the stars that twinkled outside the window.

Erza gave a tiny laugh and shook her head.

"I'm not so sure about the silk slippers," she said, a wide grin stretching across her lips, "- but I can wish you luck, that's all. When you become a famous super model and actor, it's certain that you'll have a foot of servants at your side all the time. I can expect that from you. As far as this man is concerned," she pointed at the magazine's front cover. "Well, you're right. Rich people do have their own strange habits and antics. But, they have a reputation to live up to, so one can't really complain."

Natsu nodded solemnly, flipping the magazine open.

Erza sighed and proceeded towards the couch. With Natsu here to turn her house upside down, there was no way she was going to bed and let the predator have his prey so easily. She picked up the remote and turned on the T.V., surfing lazily through the channels. But, as one channel switched into some other channel, the torturous memories crept back in again, making the hand in which she held the remote, shake.

* * *

At the same time, some distance away in a colossal mansion, the richest man in Fiore surfed through the television channels as well, trying to drown the disturbing thoughts and words that were buzzing inside his head, shattering him from within. Outside, he seemed calm and collected, owing to the years of practice that he had had in this area, but his insides were in turmoil. Within, he was screaming, banging his head against a rough surface and clawing at his face. He was going insane and he needed an outlet. If he did not find a way to let these violent emotions out, he would probably just fall apart.

Thus, with a determined look on his face, he picked up his phone and speed dialled his best friend's number. This was the only person he trusted and the one who understood him the best. He waited patiently until the person on the other end had picked up the call.

"_Here I am, thinking you've forgotten all about your friend. I'm surprised that you realise I'm still alive_," came a mocking tone from the other end.

Jellal gave a tiny, half-hearted laugh.

"Chuck it Gray. I really need to talk to you. When can we meet?"

* * *

**A/N: Whoa! 10 whooping pages *phew* Hopefully, Lucy did not scare you as much as she scared me…But worry not Lucy fans! She shall be out of this soon enough ;). Natsu, an aspiring model and playboy! :O Honestly, I never expected that out of myself. The story prompted me to portray him as such. Will try to update the next chapter as soon as possible. **

**Remember folks, more reviews=more motivation for publication. If you do your bit I will do mine. This is the simple law of equivalent exchange in the fan fiction world and I thoroughly abide by it. **

**Till then, please be kind reviewers and drop in a comment or two! You will have my blessings and love if you do so **

**- Aeria Swordlancer**


	2. A Step Towards Our Future

**Disclaimer: Fairy Tail and its characters belong to Hiro Mashima.**

* * *

**-CHAPTER TWO-**

**A Step Towards Our Future  
**

* * *

Gray Fullbuster had known Jellal Fernandez long enough to deduce that there was something terribly wrong happening on his end. Being a man who had learned how to keep his emotions sealed in through years of practice, and had never seemed anywhere near showing his weaknesses to anybody (including his family members and the closest of his friends), something really bothersome must have happened to have propelled him to call up his best friend in the middle of the night.

But then, Gray thought about Lucy and all his suspicions turned into an assurance. He was pretty sure Jellal had been up this late because of his younger sister. There could possibly be no other explanation for it.

He drove his car down the massive driveway and halted next to the valet who had come rushing out to receive him. He got out of his car and passed the keys to the man, before walking briskly towards the grand entrance to the Fernandez mansion.

Everything seemed eerily quiet as Gray nodded at the two guards who flanked the door. The burly males bowed and let him in, revealing the dimly lit hall.

"Thank you for coming, Gray," said Jellal, emerging from the shadows. He seemed pale and agonized, but nothing as major and outrageous as Gray had imagined it to be.

The latter gave a big sigh of relief and went ahead to give a warm hug to his childhood friend.

"What happened?" he asked, looking straight into his eyes. "Is this about Lucy?"

Jellal gave a tiny nod.

"Come in. I'll explain everything."

Gray followed Jellal through a long corridor that led to his study. Being a regular visitor to this place, he was familiar with every nook and cranny of the structure. But today, something in the air made him feel like he was in a strange territory; a barren land where there was no light and warmth. He felt numb and hollow, as if the high walls of the mansion were narrating a sad, heart wrenching tale.

The study was moderately sized and well suited for its owner's purposes. The table lamp was the only source of light in the room, and a few pages from a book lying on it, were fluttering with the wind that came in through the open windows. Jellal beckoned Gray forward and motioned him to sit on the couch next to the book shelf.

"Would you like to have something?" he asked, sounding ever so gentle. Gray clicked his tongue and shook his head agitatedly.

"Come to the point, Jellal. Do you think I'm in the mood to have anything at the moment with you looking like you've just emerged from a grave?"

Jellal let out a burst of breath and dug his face into his hands.

"Lucy," he said through the gap in his fingers, "met with an accident this afternoon."

Gray's jaw dropped. For a second, no sound came out of his mouth. The news was shocking enough to not illicit an immediate action or expression in response.

"WHAT?" he burst out, when the gravity of the situation came crashing down on him with the force of a massive boulder. "She met with a _what_?"

"Accident," repeated Jellal. "Although, I can't be sure if it was an accident or an attempt at suicide."

Gray felt his hands go numb as the temperature in the room dropped a few degrees with the chilly revelation. Unable to comprehend fully, the implications of what had just been said, a barrage of questions came barrelling out of his mouth.

"Why didn't you tell me before? What do you mean by attempted _suicide_? What happened? Tell me. This instant."

Jellal took in a deep breath and looked out of the window. He seemed lost and distraught. Even in the dim light of the room, Gray could clearly trace the dark circles that spread underneath his tired eyes.

"I'm sorry for not telling you before, Gray. I know I should've called you up right away, but then I remembered you had to attend the sports meet at your children's school and I didn't want to bother you with the news."

Gray rolled his eyes at that, but let Jellal continue without interrupting him and giving him a piece of his mind for keeping something so essential from him.

"As far as the accident is concerned…well, I asked one of Lucy's friends. She told me she'd had a breakup this morning. She was so distressed about it that she got drunk and destroyed half of a pub in south Magnolia in a fit of rage. Her friends tried to stop her, but she didn't listen and sat in her car. Then, she got hit by another car when she tried to drive in that state. Thankfully, it was not a major accident. She got her arm fractured and has a few bruises here and there. Now that I think about it, she probably tried to drive straight into the approaching car."

Gray listened to his friend solemnly. When he was finished, he ran his fingers through his hair and exhaled forcefully.

"Break up, you say?" he confirmed.

"Lucy has had countless breakups by now, Jellal. This is the first time she tried doing something as stupid as that,' Gray knew Lucy well enough to understand the 'cycles' in her life. Having grown up with so much money around and practically zero interference in her life, she had become what people usually called, a spoilt brat. Parties, drinks and countless boyfriends; this is what kept her busy most of the time. Knowing her, Gray could tell that she'd never looked for a serious relationship and probably, never would. It was very hard for him to believe that she would try to commit suicide after a breakup. Probably, Jellal was thinking too much and it was nothing more than an accident.

The said man turned to look back at his friend. His eyes seemed hollow and completely devoid of any emotions. This was even worse than seeing them brimming with sadness. The hollowness made him look like a corpse.

"I'm sure it was a suicide attempt, Gray," he said, his tone completely flat.

"She has had this turmoil inside her for quite a long time. Ever since her mother committed suicide, she has changed dramatically. It's this loneliness that she has given to herself that ate at her from within and prompted her to do something as big as that. Perhaps, that loneliness made a break up look like something very tragic, which is normally not the case."

"What if you're just thinking too much?" Gray suggested, trying his best to cheer his friend up. "I mean, it's an assumption, after all. Personally, I've never thought of Lucy as being suicidal. She seems… satisfied with everything that she has, the only problem being, she hasn't quite accepted you as an older brother and keeps her distance."

"Now that might be a wrong assumption as well," Jellal offered, determined that he'd made the correct analysis. "We really don't know what she feels like. I mean, what her true feelings are, since she doesn't interact much with me. But today, when I looked into her eyes, I could see something that I've never seen before," he paused, took in a deep breath and continued,

"I saw a kind of longing in them…as if she wanted to come out of that hard shell that she has constructed around herself and grab me. After all, it's entirely _my_ fault that she has become what she is today. I never really let her come close to me, and now, I'm repenting for my sins."

"Nonsense," said Gray, his tone rebellious, appalled by the accusations made by his friend on himself.

"You've never ignored her. You _have _been the perfect brother to her. I know it and anybody else who has seen you do anything and everything for Lucy knows. It's just that," Gray gulped "the death of her mother has further ignited the rebellious tendencies in her. Situations are to be blamed, not your efforts."

Jellal shook his head, refusing to acknowledge what his friend had just said.

He knew it.

It _had _been his fault. Every bit of it.

"Alright, forget about this," said Gray, getting impatient by the minute. His friend's self-depreciating tendencies could get on his nerve sometimes.

"Let's just pray for Lucy's well-being. She's a fighter Jellal. She may be a rash brat, but she's knows how to get back on her feet. I'm sure she will get out of this. _Your _love will get her out of this," the raven haired man leaned forward and grabbed his friend's shoulders.

"Trust me. Love can change anything Jellal. Take me as an example. You know what I used to be like, don't you? I was a sick, workaholic man who had presumed that he would never attempt to look for love in his life. But then, circumstances and destiny gave me Juvia-" he smiled fondly as he thought about his wife.

"- Look at me today. I'm a happy married man with three lovely kids. Love got me out of the pits of hell and taught me how to live again. I'm sure love will get both Lucy _and _you out of this mess."

Jellal snickered slightly at his friend's long drawn philosophy. Bitter memories came back to him and rubbed salt on his wounds again.

"Well, that's possible for Lucy," he said, praying silently that his dreams for a better future for his sister would actually come true. "-As far as _my_ life is concerned, I think I've had a chance that I'll never get again."

Gray had expected that answer. He was Jellal's best friend for a reason.

"You're so predictable, aren't you, my friend?" he said, giving a mock smile. His fists had started to tremble in poorly suppressed rage. "I could've bet everything on that answer of yours."

"Can't help it. 'Tis the story of my life."

"_What_ story?" Gray revolted, his fists banging into the armrests of the couch. He was beginning to lose the patience he'd been trying to hold onto for the sake of his friend.

"That you're a big jerk who's afraid of love and life because, because a _bitch _came into his life and betrayed him! Honestly Jellal. She was not worth your time. Why do you have to punish yourself for that woman's folly?"

"It's easier said than done Gray. It's easy for you to sit there and say such things since you have been lucky with this thing called love."

"What makes you think life won't give _you_ a second chance? And, why do you have to spoil your mood because of _that _woman?"

"Because _that _woman happens to be someone I'd fallen deeply in love with. I'm afraid to say this, Gray Fullbuster, but I _still_ love that woman."

Silence crept in and both men panted after the heated exchange. Gray was incensed and Jellal looked equally livid.

"Look, I'm sorry Gray," Jellal said then, trying to collect his bearings. "I was the one who called you here and you were kind enough to pay me a visit. I should not have raised my voice like that."

Gray clicked his tongue in agitation.

"Chuck it," he said. "Besides, that's not the point. We're friends, aren't we? It's our duty to make our friends see some sense when they act like jerks. And, we both have been acting like jerks."

A tiny smile crept onto Jellal's lips.

"True. We're made for each other, aren't we?" he said after a minute's silence.

Gray couldn't help but let out a snicker despite the grim situation.

"Absolutely," he said "I would have totally married you if Juvia hadn't come into my life."

The two friends sighed and looked out of the window. For a few minutes, they sat in complete silence, observing the stars. Gray couldn't help but feel sorry for his friend. The life that had been given to him on a platter was a life no one would have wanted to live on a psychological and emotional level; a business that gave him no life outside the confines of his office and meetings. A dead mother, step mother, and a sister who never associated herself with him and held him responsible for practically every problem and tragedy in life. Sometimes, he would feel guilty. Guilty, because he was happy with a wife and children and Jellal had been left, with a cruel twist of destiny, to fend for himself. Gray closed his eyes and prayed silently for the well-being of his best friend. Hopefully, he would get someone who would love him for who he was and not for his money and fame. He didn't know when, but he was sure Jellal would get his true love eventually.

"It's gonna be OK Jellal," said Gray, giving him a warm smile.

"Your family will soon be a picture of happiness and contentment. I can see that happening in the near future. Lucy's a good girl. She'll eventually understand your worth and importance in her life. I'm sure of it."

Jellal smiled and crossed his fingers behind his back.

"I hope so Gray… I hope so."

* * *

The next morning, Erza had gotten ready for work as usual. She ran a comb through her hair and went out to check on Natsu, who had fallen asleep on the sofa, his legs splayed across the arms and the table adjacent.

"Hey Natsu!" she said, shaking him slightly.

"Don't you have the final round of auditions for some T.V. commercial today?"

Natsu grumbled something inaudible and turned, swatting at Erza's hands.

"Natsu! AUDITION!"

She hit him hard on the head with the back of her hand.

"What, where, when, oh-" he got up abruptly and looked around. When his eyes came to rest on Erza, he realized what was happening and sighed deeply.

"Ah yes! The audition," he said, slapping his forehead. "Thanks for reminding, Erza. I don't know what would have become of me if you hadn't been in my life."

Erza rolled her eyes and proceeded to prepare some breakfast.

"Would you like to have something?" she called back, as Natsu went on to brush his teeth. Being a regular visitor to her place, she'd kept an extra toothbrush and toiletries for her friend in her bathroom.

"Hell Yeah!" came his voice, slightly muffled because of the toothbrush in his mouth.

"U yuh inhk I on' 'ave ainyin to ee?" (Translation: Do you think I won't have anything to eat?)

"True," called back Erza. "One day, I'm afraid you'll end up eating me."

She chuckled and went back to making the omelet. The painful memories that had come back to plague her last night were still lingering around, looking for an opening to strike, but Erza was determined to not give them the opportunity. At least, that is what she'd resolved to do, and so far, she was doing a fairly good job.

At the dining table, Natsu had gotten ready for breakfast. According to the pink head's standards, getting ready for a meal meant sitting on the chair sloppily, with legs crossed ahead on the table and drool dripping openly from the side of his mouth. Erza felt her blood boil when she looked at him seated like that on _her_ dining table.

She rushed in and hit the spatula that she was holding, hard on his knees.

"Ow! Whatya doin'?" moaned Natsu, clutching the injured spot.

"DOWN!" she roared, giving the slovenly man her infamous glare.

"Geez Erza! Who on earth made you a primary school teacher? How do those little cents put up with you?"

"And who on earth made _you _a model? I would like to have a word with that person. There's something terribly wrong with their eyesight."

She set down the plates with a loud 'hmph' and took her seat opposite Natsu. "Help yourself mister," she said, pointing at the food ahead. "I'm not your nanny."

Natsu pouted, muttered something inaudible under his breath, and helped himself with the breakfast. They ate in silence, both thinking about their day ahead, confident there wouldn't be anything out of the ordinary to look forward to. The daily routine would ensue once they crossed the threshold, and they would return home, dead tired, go to bed and wake up the next morning to get back into the same track.

However, none of them had any idea about a little event that would occur that evening, changing their mundane, single-minded lives forever. After all, when destiny makes it's next big move, it lingers around you, well hidden in the shadows before striking you stealthily, changing your life forever within the blink of an eye.

As Erza Scarlet ate the last piece of her toast, she felt something funny run down her spine, giving her a slight chill. She shrugged it off and concentrated on the lesson that she was to give to her children that day.

* * *

Jellal Fernandez let out a sigh and stretched back on his chair. It had been a long and tiring meeting, and he was glad everything had gone according to plan. Their partnership with the Neekis Industries had given them huge profits in the first quarter and his company's next big construction project in Era, a metropolitan, was on the charts. He surfed quickly through his mails and made some important calls, before picking up his mobile and giving a call back home.

The bell rang four to five times before Juvia Fullbuster, Gray's wife, picked up the phone.

"_Hello_?"

"Hey Juvia! How's everything back home? What about Lucy? Did she take her medicine? Is she fine now? Did she say or do anything to you?"

Juvia giggled slightly on the other end.

"_Don't worry Jellal. Lucy's fine. She's feeling better now and the doctor says she'll recover in no time. And yes, she has had her medicine._"

Jellal took a deep breath of relief.

"Sorry for bothering you Juvia. I know it's hard for you to look after so many people at the same time," he smiled as he thought about his best friend's three adorable imps. "I hope it's not that bothersome."

"_Absolutely not, Jellal," _Juvia said soothingly. "_It's my pleasure. I'm having no trouble managing your house, Lucy or anybody else. Trust me. I love doing this," _her voice seemed soft and her tone, placid.

Jellal had known Juvia since she'd started dating Gray six years ago, and he was well acquainted to her docile nature. She loved helping people and that was a given. It was this nature that had gotten her into social service and other such altruistic endeavours in the first place.

"Thank you Juvia. Thank you for everything," he said into the phone, a warm smile playing across his lips.

"_I thought I said there are no thank yous and sorrys between friends," _the voice on the other end changed. Jellal furrowed his eyebrows slightly as he recognized the person.

"I thought you had some really important business in Onibus today," he said into the speaker.

"_Well, I_ had._ Now I'm done with it," _said Gray. "_So, I've decided to take you out on a dinner date. Just the two of us. Like old times. Screw the world and screw society, my beloved Jelly. Let's go and express our love for each other over a plate of delicious delicacies."_

Jellal rolled his eyes.

"Gray, you know I've some important work this evening. Besides, I've to get back home as soon as I'm done with this to check up on Lucy. You know about her condition, don't you?"

"_Common Jelly! Stop being such a spoil sport! As far as Lucy's concerned, Juvia's here to look after her and I've arranged for a doctor in case of an emergency. Plus, the restaurant is not that far away. We'll be back in no time. Common Jelly, don't spoil this for me. Am I not your lil' bum chum?"_

Jellal knew he had no option. Whenever Gray started calling him by that horrible name, he meant business. And when Gray Fullbuster meant business, he would do anything in his capacity to get the work done.

"Alright Fine. I'm in. We'll return as soon as possible, okay?"

"_Cheers!"_

* * *

As Erza waved flamboyantly at the last of her children during dispersal, her phone vibrated in her skirt's pocket, making her jump in alarm. She extracted it to check the number on the screen, cursing slightly in the process.

It was Natsu.

She walked away from the school gate towards the reception area, clicking the phone open and putting it to her ear.

"Ya, tell me."

"_Erza, you won't believe this!" _Natsu screeched from the other end. He was out of breath and sounded jubilant.

Erza's grin widened.

"Don't tell me you got the part!" she said, waiting expectantly for the positive response.

"_Hell Ya!" H_er friends' voice boomed through the phone. "_Meet the new ambassador for Heart Kreuz's upcoming summer line!"_

Erza would have jumped up and down in excitement had she not been in the middle of the reception area, being watched by parents and teachers alike. She tried to put a leash on her exuberance and walked towards the staff room where she could expect some more privacy.

"That's great Natsu! Although, I really can't believe they took you in. Are they in the right frame of mind_?_"

"_Ha ha Erza! You need to try harder than that. Besides, I'm on the road towards stardom now. Be a little careful about what you say to me from now on."_

Erza reached for her handbag lying on the table in the teacher's lounge and placed some unchecked copies into it.

"Getting all cocky, are we? Sheesh Natsu. You'll give most of the page 3 celebs a run for their money in no time. When's the party?"

"_Anytime you say, my beloved friend. In fact, I've a good restaurant in mind. How about we go for a movie right now and then check out the place for dinner?"_

"I thought you had a date today. I mean, won't your girlfriend_s_ be upset if they see you hanging out with me?' teased Erza.

"_Naaaaahhh," _Natsu drawled, as if she'd suggested something really absurd. "_Doesn't matter. Besides, I'm allowed to go out for a dinner with my best friend, aren't I?" _Although Erza couldn't see him, she was sure Natsu had just 'puppy-eyed' her. After all, she was familiar with every little habit of his.

"I guess you're right," she said then, running her fingers through her hair.

"See you at Star Mall in an hour for the movie."

"_And then we'll crash into Carlton for dinner at 8."_

Erza stopped in the middle of arranging her files and attendance register on the table.

"Isn't that place a little too... expensive, Natsu?" she asked, apprehensive.

"_Gosh Erza! Don't think about anything else but making it in time! It's my treat."_

* * *

Back at the Fernandez mansion, Gray Fullbuster had also made a booking at Hotel Carlton for the dinner with Jellal.

* * *

**A/N: Oooohhhh! Natsu is the new model for Heart Kreuz? Incredible. And Gray has three kids with Juvia? I WANT THAT TO BE CANON! PLEEAAASSSE MASHIMA-SENSEI! ARE YOU LISTENING?**

**Best friends are so adorable, aren't they? Well, my closest friends certainly are. They are kind enough to read my work and give suggestions, despite their busy schedules. So, I would like to dedicate my work to them. **

**Most importantly, a BIG, BIIIIGGG and BIIIIIIGGGG thanks to the following people for dropping in reviews! You guys made my day!**

**Say-theLastWord, Robotic Butterfly, Polaris SPiCA-desu, babylovee, NRZwolf 13, Sasuke Kobayashi, natsuxlucyONLY, penguin trainer, Elemental Dragon Slayer, Kurospirit07, Reality Tales, i-miss-u and Yume Maiden for the reviews and likes. I am glad that you guys held my story worthy enough to be followed. **

**Till then, C ya and lot's of love!**

**-Aeria Swordlancer**


	3. The Day Our Paths Crossed

**A/N: Hey there lovely people! Third chap up! *phew*! It has been a really tiring week and I just spent my entire Saturday writing this chapter down. This one's reaaaallly long (16 pages! :O) and I loved writing it. Hopefully you guys will like it as well!**

**I am Hiro Mashima. I own Fairy Tail. Saturn comes before Mercury in the Solar System.**

**You get the point.**

* * *

**-CHAPTER THREE-**

**The Day Our Paths Crossed  
**

* * *

Erza dived into her wardrobe the moment she set foot into her house. After rummaging through her little collection, she narrowed down on a simple LBD and a pair of red stilettos that she'd bought a week ago. She freshened up quickly and slipped into her dress as the clock struck five.

"Almost time," she huffed, running a brush through her hair. She decided to keep it open but added a little pouf to give a new look. If they were to go to Carlton for dinner, she'd to look presentable enough.

A slight dab of make-up and she was done. She checked for closed windows and doors before stepping outside and securing the lock. As she got into the lift, she sent Natsu a quick text.

_Will be there in fifteen._

She didn't have to wait for a taxi downstairs. She found one around the corner of the street and got in immediately.

"Star Mall," she said to the driver and the car took off.

Erza still couldn't come to terms with the fact that her best friend had grabbed, what could possibly be, the biggest project of his life. It all seemed like a dream; like that telephone conversation had been a figment of her overactive imagination, dreaming and hoping, like she always did, that her friend would take the next big step forward. After all, the sudden leap was anything but small- a giant step that could mean stardom in the industry that Natsu worked in. In any case, she was enthusiastic about the prospect and felt delighted in the knowledge that her childhood best friend had taken a huge leap towards a future that promised him immense success and prosperity.

The movie complex was overflowing with people and Erza had some difficulty finding Natsu amidst the crowd. Had it not been for his unusual hair colour, she might have been lost. She quickly walked to where he stood next to a long row of fountains, and the pair moved towards the ticket counter which was equally packed. Erza had to admit that her friend was looking dashing in the grey suit that he wore. It complemented him perfectly, and for the first time, she realized how fit he was for endorsing a brand like Heart Kreuz. She'd always known that Natsu would make his mark in the industry. Years of experience and focus definitely did wonders for him, even though his rather_ exuberant_ nature did tend to bring it down a few times.

_That will go away eventually, _Erza decided. She was sure her friend would find true love someday; a person who would understand him and love him for who he was. Deep inside, Erza was tempted to see Natsu fall so hard for a girl, that he would forget his own name in the process.

On that little, dangerously ambiguous note, her thoughts suddenly lumbered towards the prohibited zone- a situation she'd been trying hard to avoid since a day ago. Sudden painful images of a man who had been her everything for the better part of her life, appeared before her eyes, and her heart seemed to have halted with a jolt.

_No Erza. _She said to herself. _Stop thinking about him…stop thinking about him…STOP!_

"Hey, you ok?" Natsu shook her slightly, and Erza was forcibly pulled out of her musings. She blinked her eyes four to five times. The crowd around was incredible and that made it extremely difficult for her to brush away the slight disorientation. She stumbled once but was supported by Natsu, who cocked an eyebrow at her.

"What's wrong?" he asked suspiciously.

Erza jerked her head slightly and attempted to push the memories out of her thought process altogether.

"Nothing," she mumbled, trying to get her focus back. The buzzing sound in her ears was not doing any good to her.

"Not feeling well?" Natsu seemed very worried. They had stopped in the middle of the huge hall where the tickets were being sold.

"Natsu, I'm fine," lied Erza. "Don't worry about me. You go get the tickets."

Natsu refused to leave her side.

"If you aren't feeling well, we can have this treat some other day. There's no rush."

Erza pushed her friend forward into the line.

"For the last time Natsu," she said. "I'm fine. Go get the tickets. I'll get myself something to drink."

Saying this, she started to move towards the snack counter before Natsu had the opportunity to object. She took a bottle of water and downed it in a beat. The cool liquid made her feel much better.

_What the hell are you doing Erza Scarlet? _She muttered to herself. _You're here to celebrate your friend's success. Don't let those memories bring you down. _

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Almost every time that she tried thinking about love, those darn memories would come back with the force of a tidal wave, threatening to wash away all of her sanity. It would leave her breathless, like the victim of a terrible respiratory disease, perhaps, causing her more physical injury than mental ones. She tried to distract herself by looking at the people around; their dress, accessories, shoes, hairstyle; anything that could possibly get her mind off her horrid past. She even tried distracting herself by looking at the posters of the upcoming movies, drowning in them for what seemed like hours, until she would realize that she'd not blinked her eyes for long and then get back to looking at the faces in the crowd. For a long time she stood there, disheartened and disorientated by the constant buzzing sound, her head spinning and her breath hitching occasionally in her throat, before Natsu finally arrived with the tickets and flashed them before her eyes.

"Here we go," he said. "The hall's open now. We can go inside."

Thankfully, Natsu had managed to get the tickets right on time. One more minute alone in the crowd like that, and Erza could have succumbed to her only weakness. She thanked heavens for the last minute escape and hoped, with crossed fingers, that the movie and dinner would try to eliminate those morbid thoughts and memories for the time being.

* * *

Natsu had luckily bought tickets for an action comedy. Now, this was a genre that Erza liked the most. Not only did it suit her tastes, but it also managed to let her mind drift away from the darkness quite effectively. By the time the movie had ended, the red head was giggling and her heart felt lighter. If the movie managed to partially shut the tormenting thoughts within her, it must definitely be a blockbuster material, Erza mused.

She sighed as the ending credits rolled in on the screen. A good hip hop number echoed in the hall and Erza felt her shoulders loosen a bit. Natsu gorged on the last bit of popcorn and kept the bucket down once he was done with it.

"Amazing movie, ne?" he said getting up and straightening his coat. "Didn't you just adore the climax? I mean, who would've thought that a weak, good for nothing, matchstick of a person could have actually been the villain? And the part where Samson comes in from behind Veronica and-" Natsu went on about the movie for a good ten minutes, practically recapitulating the entire story as the pair made its way downstairs and walked towards the taxis, the sky overhead, darkening gradually.

The two got into one and asked the driver to move towards Hotel Carlton, located in the heart of Magnolia.

Erza smiled gently as she looked at her friend go on and on about the movie. The innocence with which he recounted the entire story made her heart feel warm. Just two hours ago, she'd been gasping for breath as the memories hit her, and here she was, all smiles, listening to her friend blabber on.

"Mind sharin' the joke?" Natsu said suddenly, as he noticed Erza looking at him with great interest and chuckling occasionally.

"Nothing. Just wondering how eerily close you look to a five year old yappin' about his favourite super-hero flick."

Natsu blushed and looked away.

"I'm not a five year old, Erza. Plus, super hero movies are not just made for the said age group," he 'hmphed' and closed his eyes.

Erza resisted the urge to pull his cheeks but couldn't hold it in. she reached for them and pulled hard.

"You do know you're adorable, don't you, Natsu?"

"Oww! Back off woman!" he moaned, pouting. "Stop embarrassing me like that," he rubbed his cheeks that had now turned a bright shade of red.

"Mad woman."

Hotel Carlton, which was situated in the most posh locality of Magnolia, was an impressive structure of glass and gleam. The building was massive and the surrounding gardens were breath-taking and well-kempt. Being a hotspot for the biggest personalities in the whole of Fiore, it was doing a good job of living up to that fancy reputation.

As the taxi drove down the massive driveway and halted before the grand entrance, Erza looked around in bewilderment, occasionally spotting familiar faces from television and magazines around. Her heart fluttered with delight and her head spun with excitement. But, there was also this slight apprehension pricking at her from within. Looking at the glorious structure, she realized how expensive the restaurant they were headed towards would actually be. As Natsu paid the taxi driver and turned to give her a big smile, she frowned and grabbed his hand.

"Are you sure about this, Natsu? I mean, you would probably end up spending two sessions worth of your salary. If you still intend to go ahead, I can pay up my bit and-"

"Zip it, Erza," Natsu cut in, annoyed. He grabbed her hand that she'd tightly wrapped around his arm and pulled her forward.

"It doesn't matter. I've made up mind and this is _my _treat. Besides, I've already booked a table so there's no turning back. AND, if you're so worried about it, you can give me a more expensive gift on my birthday," he winked and together, they crossed the threshold into the glistening reception area that spoke of nothing but pure glamour and architectural brilliance.

Beautiful decoration pieces and simple, yet elegant furniture dominated the area. All around, people in glistening suits and designer dresses strutted about, their heads held high with an air of authority. The hotel cum mall's staff, on the other hand, looked prim and proper in a combination of cream and white, their hair well done and their backs all straight and alert. Erza had never been to such an expensive place in her life. It seemed so surreal that she found it hard to believe that some of the most powerful and influential people in Fiore actually walked around her, passing her by inches and looking at her occasionally as she walked towards the elevators on the other side of the hall.

The restaurant they were headed towards was located on the fourth floor of this mall cum hotel. It was relatively new, but it was fast enough to grab headlines in pages where it belonged. This was the place where you could occasionally spot personalities by the likes of Jenny Realight, the famous supermodel, or the brilliant boxer and ten-times world champion, Gildarts Clive, who had evidently made this place his second home. Erza shivered involuntarily as the elevator glided up, giving them a breath-taking view of Carlton's insides.

"This place's amazing," she whispered into Natsu's ears. He nodded with a big grin on his face as he looked around.

"Tell me about it."

_Alimento_, as the restaurant was called, covered almost half of the fourth floor. A suave looking gentleman wearing a crisp black suit bowed at the two and opened the door as they approached their destination. Natsu and Erza were greeted with a burst of cold, fragranced air and a bout of laughter as they stepped in, looking around at the people that were seated at the various tables. Erza was sure she spotted the famous actor and superstar, Hibiki Laytis, with a pretty woman just a few seats from them.

Erza tried to control the strong urge to rush over to that particular table and ask for an autograph. She'd to behave like a _normal _person here, not some rabid fangirl. Moreover, the said man seemed too busy with his date and Erza did not want to embarrass herself or Natsu in any way.

"Let's just go and sit," she muttered to her friend. "Before I go crazy and do something extremely stupid."

Natsu nodded with a gulp. The feeling was mutual and he too had to get a grip on himself.

"Yup. Let's hurry."

Another young gentleman in a black suit had now glided towards them. He bowed gracefully and said 'Good Evening' in a crisp and clear accent. Natsu nodded nervously and said their names out loud for confirmation.

"Mr. Dragneel and Ms. Scarlet."

The man bowed again and guided them towards their table in the far end of the restaurant.

* * *

Down at the main entrance to Carlton, Jellal and Gray had gotten out of a shining Bentley and made their way towards the elevators in a practiced movement. They had been here several times before, and the _Alimento_ had become their favourite destination for a scrumptious meal on any occasion. Gray had to literally drag Jellal forward because he was being reluctant as usual and constantly thinking about Lucy, who Gray was confident, was well under the care of his wife. Many women in the reception area turned around to look at them and giggled. Some of them even tried getting as close as possible to them, edging their way through the sparse crowd, thus, making their intentions way more obvious than they would have liked them to believe. Gray furrowed his eyebrow as a familiar face joined them in the elevator on the first floor.

It was Bob Shelton, CEO of Pegasus enterprises who was interested in nothing but handsome, married men and cute pink panties.

Gray's eyes bulged out of their sockets and he quickly hid behind Jellal. The last time he checked, he was a happily married man. Sans pink panties, though.

"Oh crap!" he whispered, trying to hide his face with his hair. "Jellal, save me. Please."

Thankfully, the lift was pretty much occupied to the limit and Bob did not immediately recognize Gray. However, his friend's good height and a rather conspicuous birth mark gave them away.

"My my. Look who's here," crooned Bob, gliding over to the blue haired man and his profusely sweating companion.

"Mr. Fullbuster and Mr. Fernandez," he said the family names with his lips bit in and a sultry look on his face.

Gray cursed his luck and emerged from behind his friend, pretending to look for something on the floor.

"Oh hello Mr. Shelton. It's good to see you after such a long time," said Jellal, being the perfect gentleman that he was. He extended his hands and shook them with Bob who refused to leave them for at least a minute.

Gray tried to avoid the man as much as possible. He was thankful that fourth floor came sooner than usual and he got the opportunity to push Jellal out of the elevator. However, his luck had some other cruel plans and Bob followed them out, his eyes roving all over his body.

"And where do you think you are going Mr. Fullbuster?" he hummed, catching up with Gray in a flash of second and pinching his butt.

Gray almost jumped out of his skin in horror.

"Oh- hee- hello M-Mr. Shelton," he said, trying to put as much distance as possible between him and that man. Jellal, on the other hand, tried to control the laughter that had almost made it to his lips.

"Hello there, darling," said Bob, the bright lipstick on his lips, glistening in the light.

"Haven't seen you in a while. Whatssay? We make up for that over a cup of steaming coffee?" he emphasized upon the word steaming.

"Uh well," Gray was sweating buckets. "The t-thing is…I am on a d-date…I- I mean some b-business related i-issue and-"

"Oh stop being such a spoil sport Fullbuster. You're coming with me and that's final," Bob grabbed Gray by his arm and almost dragged him towards a coffee shop on the other end of the floor.

"B-but," Gray stuttered, horror-struck. He looked at Jellal in a fit of desperation, begging him to get him out of this mess.

"_Do something for heaven's sake," _he mouthed and Jellal surged forward, trying his best to keep the laughter in.

"I beg your pardon Mr. Bob, but isn't that Mr. Akatsuki from Sherry Corporation down there at that shop on the third floor?" he gestured at a handsome, tanned figure standing outside a jewellery shop, looking keenly at the display.

"My my, look what we've got here," squeaked Bob, seeming two seconds away from ditching the elevator and jumping off the railing to land on the floor below.

"Thank you for that delicious scoop. I owe you one," within the blink of an eye, he'd dashed towards the staircase in the far end of the floor, much to the relief of the Fullbuster heir who seemed to have succumbed to a series of fits. Jellal felt sorry for Ren and mouthed his apology to him for having sent such a big problem his way.

"That man," panted Gray "is going to be the death of me someday," he loosened a few buttons on his shirt and fanned himself.

Jellal laughed heartily for the first time in months.

"You should have seen that look on your face Gray," he said, snickering. "I believe he's the only person in the whole of Fiore who can manage to make you cower like that. Have to give him some credit for that."

Gray cursed under his breath and wiped the sweat off his forehead.

"Ya right," he spat "and I used to think my wife's the only one capable of making me sweat like that," he winked as he said that.

Jellal blushed a little and shrugged the statement off. He was used to hearing his friend talk about Juvia like he still had the first night to spend with her. Thankfully, they had been married for a good five years now and Gray wasn't that same, hormonally charged newlywed who would think of nothing but his nocturnal activities around the clock. This was not to say that the stage had passed. Jellal was happy that even after five years and three kids, the two were just the same when it came to a little bit of romance in their relationship.

"Let's go Gray," he said when he'd stopped laughing to his heart's content. "We've to go back home early, don't we?"

"Tch," Gray shrugged and the two made their way towards the restaurant. As the door was opened and the two friends stepped in, Jellal felt a warm aura rush towards him and surround him, easing all of his tensions within seconds. He sighed involuntarily, the beautiful sensation surging through his veins and giving him the peace that he'd craved for for more than half of his life. He'd no idea where this feeling came from all of sudden, but he couldn't help but refrain from complaining. For the first time in so many years, he felt like he could live his life all over again, even if that feeling gave him respite for only a fraction of a second.

Gray's grunt brought him back on the ground and the two made their way towards a table in the far end. This was a spot they regularly booked, and the entire staff greeted them with ardour as they walked towards their designated table. This particular section of the restaurant was practically unoccupied, save a couple that was huddled together not far away from their table, whispering something rapidly. The man had pink hair while the lady, whose face they couldn't see, had bright scarlet hair.

"You take a seat. I'll come in a minute," said Gray pointing his head towards the washroom. Jellal nodded and went off to sit right next to the couple.

* * *

Erza was having the time of her life. Not only was this place beautiful, but the people that occasionally came in through the door were a treat to watch as well. Not all of them were famous personalities; some of them were just rich people with extensive tastes. Although, Erza sat with her back to the door, she could almost picture everybody that came in, owing to Natsu's nonstop commentary that seemed to give even a bullet train some shame.

But, there came a moment when Erza felt her heart beat stop for a second for no particular reason at all. Warmth spread through her and healed the wounds that had been repeatedly inflicted upon her, owing to a weakness that she was highly ashamed of. She sighed contently as the pleasant feeling flushed her insides, working like catharsis. A small smile spread across her lips and she closed her eyes, drowning in that sudden wave of contentment that knocked at her heart like an unexpected, yet pleasant guest. That's when Natsu gasped loudly and shook her out her reverie.

"Erza, you won't believe this," he said, leaning in closer.

"It's _him_! It's _him_! It's _Jellal_ _Fernandez_!"

Erza blinked. For a second, she did not understand the implication of Natsu's words. When she snapped her eyes open to look at her friend, there was nothing but fascination written on his face; like a three year old who had spotted Santa flying in through the chimney.

_Jellal Fernandez, here? _She thought although she knew that it was perfectly normal for him, of all people, to be here. It just seemed a little odd to her because they had been talking about him a day ago, looking at his picture on the front page of a magazine.

"Are you serious?" she inquired and Natsu nodded solemnly, trying his best not to overtly ogle at him. Erza, on the other hand, resisted the urge to turn around on her seat and have a good look at the man.

No. She had to behave.

"_Holy…_He looks just the same. I mean…well you know what I mean. But he looks kinda…I don't know how to put it…_humble_? Yeah…humble."

Natsu muttered incessantly as Erza felt somebody approaching them from behind.

"Oh shit Erza. He's coming here. He's coming in this direction. Oh god I think I might just lose my sanity," Natsu ducked behind the menu in that instant.

Erza heard a chair being pulled, followed by a deep, long-drawn sigh. The said man sat on the table right next to theirs and she could see him partially out of the corner of her eyes. It wasn't like she was dying to see him or anything, like Natsu who was his big fan, but she was slightly intrigued by his presence. Perhaps, it had something to do with that soothing sensation she had felt just seconds ago.

Erza heard him speak to somebody on the phone. It seemed like an important business call. His voice was deep and gentle and there was no trace of arrogance in it. From the sound of it, it seemed like he was speaking to some minor official in his company or wherever and yet, he did not raise his voice or sound irritated. He spoke to the person with so much humility that Erza couldn't help but be impressed. He'd turned out to be a completely different person from what she'd imagined he would be. It wasn't like she had pictured him as some kind of a cruel or conceited snob, but a person who rules such a big group of industries generally has this air about him that speaks of superiority. But, there was nothing of that sort exuding from this man. He seemed pretty much like an ordinary fellow.

Erza adjusted herself on her seat and cleared her throat. She prayed that the waiter would come soon to take an order and dived into the menu.

Nothing seemed to cost beneath a thousand jewels and Erza almost decided to go with the least expensive item on the menu-tea. Natsu, on the other hand, was not bothered in the least. Why would he be anyway? He was busy looking at Jellal like some creepy stalker, making these weird grunting noises that made Erza cringe. She pressed down on his feet under the table.

"_Ow what the hell Er-"_

"_Will you stop staring at him please? He'll notice it sooner or later. Moreover, the menu isn't doing you any good."_

"_But-"_

"_Shut up!"_

Natsu went back to the piece of paper before him immediately.

When it became too much for him to handle, he decided to go to the washroom to ease himself and calm his nerves.

"I'll be back in a minute. You place an order till then, 'kay?"

Erza nodded.

"Just don't do anything stupid," she said, crossing her fingers under the table as she watched Natsu go towards the washroom at the other end. She was sure he almost stopped right next to Jellal for a second to have a good look at him from the front. Thankfully, the man didn't notice a thing and went on with doing whatever he was doing on his phone. Erza had this sudden urge to push Natsu forward, but her friend managed to collect his bearings and almost broke into a run.

She sighed in relief.

However, lady luck had not decided to favour her that day. It seemed that she had evaded her completely while bestowing her fruit upon unfortunate beings, for the events that happened next had almost made her go bury herself in a pit in deep shame.

It turned out that Natsu, in his excitement at seeing his idol in the restaurant, had lost all control over his motions and senses and ran straight into a waiter who'd been carrying a cup of steaming soup. Unfortunately, the waiter couldn't balance himself after the violent contact and the bowl he was holding, teetered dangerously on the edge of the tray. For a few seconds, the frame froze as many people in the restaurant directed their attention to this happening, their mouths hanging wide open and their breaths held in collective anticipation. The soup bowl, however, decided to leave its support base and flew through the air in a dangerous motion, emptying its contents on an unfortunate victim with black hair and slanting, bead like eyes.

Gray Fullbuster screamed in agony as the hot soup soaked the front of his shirt and Natsu couldn't believe what had just happened. He stood rooted on the spot as Gray squirmed, pulling the cloth away from his skin with jittering fingers.

"Why you _Swine_!" he roared, looking wildly at the waiter who had dropped the tray in fright.

Jellal and Erza wheeled on the spot. Erza was sure she could have a cardiac arrest any moment.

"I a-am e-extremely s-s-sorry s-sir…this w-was n-n-not," the waiter had turned blue, nearly at the verge of death from asphyxiation.

Gray looked around wildly and spotted a waiter holding a jug of water and a bucket of ice cubes. He reached for it and poured the cool liquid down the front of his shirt. Next, he took some of the ice cubes in his hand and rubbed his skin with them after pulling up his shirt.

Natsu, it seemed, had lost the ability to speak or move.

And all the other guests in the restaurant had found a very good source of entertainment.

"YOU!" screeched Gray, pointing an accusing finger at Natsu. DO YOU HAVE FRIGGIN' BUTTONS FOR EYES OR WHAT?"

Natsu tried to say something but his tongue seemed to have jammed in the back of his throat. He just mouthed something inaudible and shook his head nervously.

Erza decided it was the right time to intervene before the situation got any worse. At the table next to hers, Jellal Fernandez had risen from his chair as well, looking horror-struck. The two dashed forward, neck to neck, determined to hold back their respective friends to avert the impending crisis.

"I'm extremely sorry on his behalf sir," breathed Erza, her legs shivering slightly as she tried to comfort Natsu. "We apologize for this mistake."

"MISTAKE?" roared Gray, his eyes wild as his chest burned with the hot soup. He poured down another jug of water over his shirt.

"THIS IS NOT A MISTAKE MISSY. THIS IS A BLUNDER. YOU GOT THAT? AND WHO THE HELL ARE YOU TWO ANYWAY? AND DO YOU THINK A SIMPLE APOLOGY WILL DO? HOW THE FUCK DO YOU LET SUCH JERKS IN ANYWAY?"

He looked around at the staff and the terror stricken manager who was unable to produce any kind of sound.

"S-s-sir," was all that he could manage to say.

Erza felt her face burn as all eyes now turned to look at her curiously. Hell, even Hibiki Laytis had decided to tear his gaze from the beautiful lady in front of him and look at Erza with mild interest.

"Sir, please," she said in panic. In a place full of celebrities, they were simply nothings. And by the looks of it, the black haired man seemed like some really rich businessman. Why wouldn't he be? Jellal Fernandez had just reached for him and held him by his shoulders.

Their eyes met for a second; chocolate brown and light green came to rest on each other; for a moment, Erza was thoroughly distracted. In that tiny instant, she suddenly became unaware of everything in the world, as if every string, every thought and every identity that tied her to the ground were snapped. One by one. Strand by strand. She floated in the air, feeling light with the disappearance of all kinds of burdens that she'd ever attracted and reluctantly cultivated. Within that second, she could visualise her entire self, her entire life story as if it were some fast forwarded film, and the bad happenings appeared to have disintegrated into thin air.

For Jellal Fernandez, the feeling seemed mutual. The heavy boulder like entity that had weighed him down for years, seemed to have been destroyed when that powerful gaze tore through him. In that instant, it seemed as if those chocolate brown eyes had seen through him and laid his story bare before his eyes.

Erza jerked her head as Gray's angry grunt made her face the bitter reality. She gulped as she looked at the red, murderous eyes of the said man.

"Sir, we are extremely sorry for this. Please think of it as some stupid mistake and let it go. We apologize-"

"OH JUST SHUT UP LADY!' roared the man. "DO YOU THINK I'LL ACCEPT THIS APOLOGY OF YOURS? I'M GOING TO SUE THE TWO OF YOU!"

Erza was at the verge of tears by now. Tears of deep embarrassment, you could say.

"Sir," she began, but Natsu cut in with a flick of his hand. His face seemed to have shed that pitiful expression and he looked straight into the eyes of the black haired man.

"No one talks to my friend like that," he said flatly and Erza's eyes widened in horror. If this was Natsu's you-say-anything-to-my-friend-and-I-will-beat-the- crap-out-of-you mode, they were in deep shit.

"Natsu, no," she whispered into his ear, but her friend was both adamant and arrogant.

"We did apologize for this. There's no need to sue us for something so trivial-"

"TRIVIAL? HA! TRIVIAL HE SAYS! YOU SAY POURING SOME HOT, STEAMING SOUP OVER HUMAN FLESH IS TRIVIAL? I SWEAR TO GOD! WHRE DO YOU GET THIS ARROGANCE FROM? AND APOLOGY? I NEVER HEARD _YOU_ APOLOGIZE, MISTER!"

A vein seemed to have popped on Natsu's forehead and he blatantly ignored his surroundings and the situation. Even Jellal Fernandez's presence did nothing to stop him from going into his pissed off mode.

"OH FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE! YOU'RE NOT DEAD! ARE YOU? AND WHAT'S UP WITH THIS ATTITUDE LIKE YOU OWN THIS PLACE? DAMN YOU RICH BRATS! EVEN IF A MOSQUITO COMES AND BITES YOU, YOU SEND YOUR SERVANTS TO HUNT IT DOWN AND GET IT EXTERMINATED!"

Erza couldn't believe that Natsu had just said that. She gaped at him, her mouth wide open in terror. The situation had definitely gotten out of hand now.

Gray, whose eyes had turned blood red by this instant, seemed like he was ready to choke someone to death. Even Jellal seemed unable to say anything at all. Both Erza and he had that 'I don't know you-I disown you' look on their faces.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY? WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST SAY YOU LITTLE WRENCH? I'M NOT DEAD YET? YOU WANT ME DEAD YOU SAY? WHERE THE HELL DOES THAT ATTITUDE COME FROM? IT JUST MADE YOU SOUND LIKE THIS WANNABE WHO HAS ZERO SELF RESPECT."

"WAIT YOU-"

Natsu looked like he was about to launch himself at the man and grab him by the collar. At that precise moment, when the two men had decided to break each other's necks, Jellal stepped in, separating his friend, or whosoever he was to him, from a fuming Natsu. Erza intervened as well, using all her strength to keep her friend at bay.

"Ma'am please," Jellal said, wrestling a rabid Gray with his right arm. "Take your friend out of this place before it's too late. I also apologize for my friend's behaviour."

Gray had almost screeched 'What apology?' but Jellal cut him short.

Erza felt her cheeks burn and turn into the same colour as her hair. Technically, it was entirely Natsu's fault, and their behaviour had just made Jellal Fernandez apologize for no reason at all.

"No, _I_ apologize for this, sir. This is not even your or your friend's fault. Please, accept our apology."

"It's ok ma'am. Please leave before this situation gets any worse."

Erza did not wish to continue. The only thing that mattered to her was to get out of this place as soon as possible. She dragged an incensed Natsu towards the exit, trying hard not to look at the faces that turned to look at them in wonder. She was sure she heard Hibiki Laytis chuckle slightly, and her insides melted with sheer embarrassment.

"_Shit," _she mumbled to herself, a string of curses almost making it to her lips as she pushed Natsu out of the restaurant and made her way towards the elevator.

It took a lot of effort and inhuman strength for even a brown belt like Erza to drag Natsu towards the taxis. She pushed him into one and the taxi took off.

"What on earth were you _thinking_ Natsu?' the red head roared, once they had put a sufficient amount of distance between themselves and Carlton.

"Why did you have to pick up an unnecessary fight like that? Have you lost it?"

Natsu punched the seat and cursed.

"I don't know what happened to me Erza but that nutter…he just ticked me off."

"You do know it was your fault, don't you?"

Natsu didn't say anything for a minute.

"Well yeah, but then we apologized, didn't we? I mean I would've, if I hadn't been that shocked about what had happened. Besides, that's not the point! I mean, he was so rude to _you,_ Erza! He had no right, whatsoever, to scream at you because you weren't even involved! You had done no wrong!"

Erza sighed deeply. This overprotective feeling that Natsu had towards her, would land them in trouble many a times.

"Look Natsu. You can't really blame him. I mean, he was drenched in steaming soup! Do you realize how dangerous that is? It could have burned his skin had he not poured that chilled water over his shirt. He was bound to get mad at anybody who confronted him in that state. It's nothing but natural. Moreover, we must be thankful that Mr. Fernandez intervened and stopped the two of you at the right moment. Those are influential people, Natsu. They could have done anything!"

Natsu protested, but Erza cut him off. She wasn't going to let him justify any of his actions. He had been wrong and he had to accept it without coming up with any excuses, no matter how plausible they seemed.

After a few minutes of silence, the fuming male seemed to have calmed himself as he sighed deeply and let his shoulders slump.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, his tone gruff, but guilt visible in his eyes.

"It was all my fault. I should have controlled my tongue back there. I mean, I just acted like _that_ in front of _the_ Jellal Fernandez! Must have seemed like a big tosser. Come to think of it, we didn't even have a glass of water back there! I ruined this treat," he seemed at the verge of depression now.

Erza shook her head and placed a comforting hand on Natsu's shoulder.

"It's OK," she whispered, letting a gentle smile tug at her lips. "You have acknowledged your mistake. That alone shall do. As far as the treat is concerned," she felt a sly grin playing across her lips, "that place wasn't meant for us anyway. We can just go the classic way and order a pizza or something. You don't need a fancy restaurant to cheer yourself and give a treat, after all," she winked at him.

Natsu sighed and returned the smile. His anger all gone, he let his tense muscles relax a bit.

For what seemed to be an hour, the two friends sat in silence, looking out of their respective car windows. It was very difficult for them to believe what had just happened. They had a _brawl _with two famous businessmen in Fiore's most expensive and posh hotel. Apart from this absurdity, it was funny how the man they had been talking about over a magazine front page, turned out to be the one with whose associate they had picked up a fight. Their first time in such an expensive place had perhaps, become their last time, and they both knew they had been saved at the nick of time by the last minute actions of the level headed business tycoon.

Erza felt something weird tickle her spine as she thought about the blue haired man. The picture that she'd painted in her mind was absolutely antithetical to what he'd turned out to be, and she couldn't help but feel some sort of reverence for the man. Never in her life had she imagined that a person with so many _resources_ could be _that _humble. Perhaps, it was in his nature to not get affected by the kind of power that he wielded? Or, perhaps, humility did come with immense knowledge and authority? Erza couldn't tell. Despite her uncertainties and guesses, there was one thing that she was absolutely clear about; one aspect of the man's life that couldn't conceal itself when, for a fraction of a second, her eyes had come to rest on his light green ones. In that little amount of time when their gazes had come to rest on each other, Erza had seen that little tinge of loneliness that she was all too familiar with and that was the basis of her existence as well. The pain of seclusion that his eyes seemed to talk about, made him seem distant despite the grave situation that he had been a part of. For a man who seemed to be the centre of all attention with his fame and business acumen, Jellal Fernandes surely appeared to be nothing more than a spectator himself; lost in a crowd, anonymous and willing to be forgotten.

"Oh by the way," Natsu cut in all of a sudden, unnerved by the silence that hit him like bullets.

"I forgot to tell you it's one of my friend's birthday tomorrow. Remember that photographer who works for Shanaz?"

Erza nodded, remembering the perverted ass by the name of Bacchus.

"He has a party tonight at some pub in East Magnolia and he has invited both of us. Why don't you come with me after the dinner? I mean, it's a Saturday tomorrow. You can manage."

Erza shook her head vigorously.

"You know I don't like partying Natsu. Besides, I am not on friendly terms with that idiot. I fail to understand how you manage to stick around with him."

Natsu chuckled as he noticed how disgusted his friend seemed at the prospect of meeting the birthday boy. Her expression made it look like she had just swallowed a sea slug.

"Oh! I completely forgot," he said smirking. '-the fact that he is literally head over heels in love with you. Common Erza, you should give him a chance."

"He's head over heels in love with a dozen girls at the same time Natsu, and you know this pretty well. Besides, I don't really enjoy these parties that you talk of. Not my style."

Natsu shrugged and silence fell once again between the two, as the taxi took a turn into a street where Erza's apartment was located.

* * *

"That rotten swine! That pink haired oddity! That- that good for nothing bastard! That son of a-"

Gray's cursing stream continued to flow freely as Jellal literally dragged him towards his parked car. The driver opened the door as soon as he saw the two approaching.

"Get in now," Jellal said, pushing Gray into the car before he could hear him mutter any of those ear piercing profanities. He'd been scarred enough by his friend's colourful language.

After having made sure that his friend had settled himself, Jellal got in from the other side and shoved an ointment into Gray's hand which he had taken out from a small first aid kit in the car.

"Here. Rub it over the affected area. It'll make you feel better."

Gray cursed even more as he lifted his shirt to apply the ointment. Thankfully, not much damage had been done and his skin had just turned a bit red and itchy.

"Why did you stop me back there Jellal? I could have just ripped off that bastard's head!"

"That's precisely why I stopped you Gray. Moreover, you shouldn't have shouted at the lady. She didn't do anything wrong."

"Do I care?" Gray retorted in a low growl. "I mean, she'd the audacity to call it a mistake! A mistake does not entail an act which almost kills a person."

Jellal rolled his eyes, but he had neither any power, nor any motivation to reason with his friend in such a state. He let him continue with the cursing session to his heart's content and looked out of the window to clear his mind of any thoughts related to the incident. As the car turned a corner, Gray's phone rang and he spit at the poor device.

"Pick it up for me Jellal. It's Juvia. I'll end up screaming at her for no reason. I'm in no mood to talk to anybody at the moment."

Jellal nodded and pressed the answer button. He felt his skin go numb as he heard Juvia sniff on the other end.

"Juvia? What happened?" he asked, concerned.

"_Is that you Jellal_?" Juvia mumbled in between sobs.

"Yes, it's me. Gray is er-busy with something at the moment. Tell me, what's wrong? You sound…distressed."

Juvia now burst into tears and Jellal felt his insides squirm with discomfort and anxiety.

"_Juvia_?" Gray had inched towards the phone to hear the conversation as well. Apparently, Juvia was loud enough to be heard by her husband, making him forget about the injury he'd been obsessing over two seconds ago.

"_I'm s-s-sorry *hic* Jellal_,' the woman wept. '_I am t-terribly *hic* s-sorry. Lucy has *hic*_."

Jellal stiffened at the mention of his sister's name.

"What about Lucy?" he asked, his heart skipping a beat.

Juvia sobbed incessantly.

"_L-Lucy *hic* has e-escaped. She *hic* is n-not *hic* in the mansion *hic* anymore_."

* * *

**A/N: whoa! Now this is what I would call a 'beautiful' first meeting between the leads. Gray and Natsu will just be… Gray and Natsu, no matter which dimension they are put into. **

**An important note: the next chap will be shorter than the ones I've written so far. It will be in the first person perspective with Lucy as the narrator.**

**A big thanks to all those who reviewed and put my story on their favourite list and alerts! **

**DarkXFeatheredCosmic, Assault type-PJ, Tosha232, Helekiller2, NRZwolf13, Zatanga, Say-theLastWord, Zulka,DarksideWolf , Burned Down, Tazski, shae lockhart, telemarker, Penguin trainer. U guys are the BEST! Every word that you type makes me feel like the happiest person on Earth! Arigato!**

**Also,**

**Helekiller2- I don't know if you have managed to find this on Google but a primary school teacher in my country is a teacher that teaches grades 1st to 5th. A teacher teaching KG would be a pre-school teacher, 6th-10th would be the middle wing and 11th and 12th grades would be the Senior Wing.**

**The next update will be made shortly, possibly by Wednesday or Thursday. Till then, don't forget to drop in your reviews!**

**-Aeria Swordlancer**


	4. A Voice in the Dark

**As promised, here's the fourth chapter from Lucy's POV. Enjoy! :D**

**Disclaimer: Fairy Tail and its characters belong to Hiro Mashima.**

* * *

**-CHAPTER FOUR-**

**A Voice in the Dark  
**

* * *

_I am Lucy Heartfilia Fernandez._

_No. _

_Chuck Fernandez._

_I am Lucy Heartfilia and my own family destroyed my life._

_There it is. My standard intro line for anybody who wishes to know a little more about my crazy, eventful and media attention-worthy life._

_I may sound a little off my senses here, but, whenever I look at my reflection in the mirror, I see a little girl with lonely eyes, her hands empty and her heart shattered. It's a haunting image that lingers forever; the little girl standing there with a sort of determination that is not unwavering- her eyes, dejected and heartbroken, longing for something that has always been, and will always be, beyond her reach. I see her weep, her brown eyes looking at me, pleading me to shed the layer that I've accumulated around myself through years of practice and persistence, and going back to those innocent days that were once my reality._

_I look back at the girl with incredulity, as if she is some extra-terrestrial organism; somebody that I fail to recognise and associate with. As I look more into those big eyes brimming with tears, I do achieve a semblance of recognition. However, as I had rightly suspected, that doesn't help me much with the situation that I am in. Nothing can possibly help me get out of this huge mess that I'm reluctantly a part of, now that I'm lodged deep into it. Untraceable. Imperceptible. _

_I decide that the reflection looks like somebody I used to know, but somebody I can never be again, no matter how hard I try. A figure lost in the shadows of the past; buried and forgotten, not meant to be brought back to the fore, lest I want to feel the pain of confronting a glorious phase that is tantalising enough for me to grab it, but unrealistic enough for the moments to crumble as soon as I hold them in my hands. _

_Therefore, with nothing better to do, I jeer at the girl for being weak, for being vulnerable, and she looks at me with disbelief in her eyes. I spit at the image and walk away before it can do any harm to me by presenting me with my own little core that I have submerged in my depths, lost and untouched. After all, I have no interest in reviving an aspect of myself that will never be the same again, killed as it was, the day my mother had been lowered into the coffin._

_I ignore the blaring pain as I get out of my bed and put on my best party clothes, completely side-lining the bandages and plaster that cover most of my body. The rest is routine. I call in the maids whom I have lured to my side, and ask them to cover for me as I escape. They are miserable and pathetic creatures who are blinded by money. They can do anything and everything for a little amount of it in their pockets, and getting me out of the house without much interference is no big deal for them. Well, not just money, I give them some pretty jewellery that I bought from a famous shop in Era and they accept it eagerly, their eyes reflecting the sheen of the gems coating the ornaments. I wait for that moment when Sebastian is out on night duty to check out the perimeters and make my escape (He's a fool who joined this game way too late to understand my ways). Thanks to that Fullbuster woman, there is some amount of leniency in the security today. With the carefully chalked out plan in our hands and years of experience (which also includes a quarter of the officials responsible for keeping an eye on the area through CCTVs), I stealthily slip out of the mansion. Beyond the outer walls of the southern quarters of the structure awaits a car concealed in the darkness. I take the help of my maids to vault the fence. It hurts immensely. The plaster and bruises are a hindrance, but I persevere. Nothing can stop me from achieving my goals. Familiar faces look up at me from inside the car, and I give a big smile to my friends who seemed to be all geared up for the big Friday night party._

_I was finally out of that godforsaken bed, and no one could stop me from doing what I wished to do and going where I wished to go. I have my own ways._

_Soon, I zoom away in that car, oblivious to the world and everything else that has been plaguing me since forever. My friend inserts a bottle of vodka straight into my mouth. I taste it. It burns in my mouth and sets my throat on fire. I've never really liked the drink as such, but it manages to give me a high and makes me forget about all troubles, all nuisances that I've to deal with on a daily basis. The music that plays in the car sounds fun and I bob my head and swing my shoulders with the rhythm. Beside me, Mac, Rickey or whosoever he is, tries to get his hands up my thighs. I slap his hand away and stick my tongue out at him. I may have stopped him now but I probably won't be able to once I have had a bottle more of the drink. It doesn't bother me. That's the way it is for me. _

_We arrive at the pub where I have practically spent half of my life post puberty. I get out of the car, slightly groggy, but feeling perfectly happy, and dance my way in after giving the bouncers a wink. They know me well. I'm a regular visitor. I beckon my friends forward and they gladly oblige._

_Once inside, I am in a world where I belong. That infuriating mansion with suffocating walls will be the death of me someday._

_The flashing disco lights, the music, the people; everything gets me moving. I absentmindedly shake my hips with the rhythm. The drink is slowly showing its effects but it isn't enough for me. I move towards the bar and order a few shots. The few become many in no time and I just go with the rhythm, too bothered to think about the consequences of my actions and all that shit. Suddenly, I spot my friend who is the DJ and walk towards him. The world seems to be moving, but I don't care. I am used to it._

"_Hey there Jo!" I flung myself at him and give him a bear hug. He winks at me and gives me the signal. I nod and make my way towards the dance floor._

_People recognize me and swiftly move out of the way. I smirk, realizing how infamous I am for my temper. I don't mind. The world can think whatever it wants. I am Lucy Heartfilia. I am afraid of no one. _

"_Ladies and gentlemen," Jo's voice rings through the crowd._

"_Raise a toast for the star of this party! Presenting, the gorgeous, the sexy Luuuucccyyy!"_

_There is loud cheering and hooting. I smile and try to recognize the faces in the crowd, but my vision has started to play tricks on me. I giggle. The groggier the drinks make me feel, the better. The music changes and Jo starts playing a number with some really cool beats._

_I raise my hands in the air and start shaking my body. By this time, my wounds have become numb, and I cannot feel any pain at all. Probably, this has something to do with the fact that I feel so happy to be bothered about trivial matters such as these. Or, perhaps, it's because of the fact that I am so drunk that I really can't differentiate between pain and pleasure. I can't seem to tell. Nevertheless, as the beats accentuate, I start moving wildly, my hair dancing all over my face and the crowd screams for me, cheers me on._

_I am the light. I am the star. Everybody is looking at me, admiring me. I am at the top of this world…_

_I am the dark. I am the dust. Nobody looks at my true self. I am buried somewhere deep in the pits of hell._

_The bitter realization dawns on me and I stop dancing. By this time, everybody in the pub has started grooving to the beats. I stand there in the middle of nowhere, staring at the faces around me, my head titled to the side and my eyes narrowed._

_I stand like this for minutes, no hours. A lone figure in the middle of a dense forest of nothingness, surrounded on all sides, by a thick shroud of meaninglessness. Even the friends who got me here have abandoned me and are busy with their partners in some dark corner._

_Without a sense of direction or definite purpose, I start walking, stumbling rather, pausing occasionally to look at people's faces. They give me an awkward look back and cringe with discomfort as I inch my nose closer to theirs._

_I don't care. I am doing something very essential. Can't they see?_

_I giggle occasionally, for no particular reason. But, with these giggles, I also cry. Tears have started rolling down my cheeks and I have no strength, no desire to wipe them off. So, I let them flow and alternate between tears and chuckles, giving rise to a peculiar rhythm that gives me a kind of strange, morbid satisfaction._

_The exit is near, yet, I don't grab the door immediately. I take my time looking at the lights and the neon lines on the walls. They seem like a tiny ray of hope in the darkness to me. But, I have no intention of holding on to them. There is no point. How long would they be able to keep me out of this after all? There was no guarantee, no reality._

_Finally, I get out of the area and stumble into the dark street. There is hardly any traffic or population in this part of Magnolia, and only a few pubs and night clubs line the streets. Thankfully, I don't have to worry about people seeing me in this condition._

_But, do I even care? When nobody else does, why should I bother?_

_With every step that I take on the cold pavement, my movements become jerkier and my head feels heavier. The street lights around seem like some optical illusion, and the ground has melted and turned into an ominous looking, greyish liquid._

_I walk on for hours, a car or two occasionally passing by, and I have no idea about the direction I am headed towards._

_But, this does not scare me._

_I am Lucy Heartfilia._

_Nothing scares me._

_Nothing._

_Finally, after what seems like hours, my knees buckle and I fall face first onto the ground, further injuring myself. It hurts, but I can't seem to produce any kind of sound through my vocal chords, so I writhe in silence, my plastered arm lying in an awkward position on the floor. For a second I feel like I have become invisible to the world. Raw fear grips me and claws at my insides, but I try to push it away with all my might. Nothing should scare me, I say to myself, but the sensation refuses to leave me and has latched onto me with a single minded ferocity._

_Then, in some figment of my imagination, I hear a voice._

_A strange, strong voice echoing in the distance._

_Something about that voice makes me feel warm, and ignites this fire within me for which I have no explanation. I don't know the person. I can't see him. But, I can _feel _him. _

_Perhaps, this was the effect of the drinks I had and I am just imagining things?_

_There was no way I could come to a conclusion in such a condition._

_It was only when the voice came close enough to seem true that I realized it was not a figment of my imagination._

"Hey there miss," _a voice calls out to me, and I do nothing but lie almost lifeless on the ground. The person shifts to the front to have a better look at my face._

"Are you okay?" _He asks._

"Who are you? Where do you live?" _He inquires, and I just lie there like a nobody, trying to figure out what he looks like._

_However, the drinks prevent me from quenching the mild curiosity that I have. I hear him clicking open something- a mobile phone perhaps? - and talking to somebody in hushed tones. I cannot make anything out of whatever that person is saying. He finishes the conversation as soon as he started it and gently yanks me up by the shoulders._

_I wince slightly, but that is, perhaps, the only bout of pain I feel before my body becomes completely numb._

_I have a glimpse of ridiculously colored hair (pink perhaps?) before my senses give away, and I slip into the darkness._

* * *

**A/N: Natsu, the Pink Haired savior. Lol. I was kinda depressed when I wrote this down because Lucy is usually not in such a state of mind. Talk about understatements. **

**But, as I said earlier, this is an AU fic and the situation compels me to portray these characters as such. So, if you are Lucy fan and do not like seeing Lucy in such a condition, I am sorry but I really can't help it. Well, in any case, she will be lifted from the dark soon enough :P That's all I can say.**

**As far as the Jerza **_**fluff**_** is concerned (*ahem*) it will take time but it will come. Your patience and cooperation will be thoroughly rewarded.**

**Thanks again to the following people for making the effort to type out the reviews; OpenOtaku, penguin trainer, Helekiller2, lovesoul0124, zulka, NRZWolf 13, Burned Down, Guest, DarkXFeatheredCosmic and fire fist storm. U get my love :P Also, some of you seem to be giving me some ideas through your comments. I will try to incorporate them into the story as best as I can :D**

**The next chap will take some time so please bear with me. College work seems to have increased drastically, but worry not. I will definitely take some time out for this every day.**

**Till then, keep reading and keep reviewing :P**

**-Aeria Swordlancer**


	5. The Beginning

**Yellooo! I am back with the 5th chapter! Horray I managed to finish it! -_-' Damn assignments!**

**Well, I won't call this chapter one of my best chapters. It's kinda 'transitional' but something very important happens here. Bits from the past you can say. So brace yourselves for it (it might not lead you anywhere, but it is important nevertheless).**

**Disclaimer: Fairy Tail and its characters belong to Hiro Mashima.**

* * *

**-CHAPTER FIVE-**

**The Beginning  
**

* * *

After having an amazing pizza with an amazing friend, Natsu set off for the club where Bacchus was hosting the party. He tried to convince Erza again, but she was adamant and held her ground. She had made it absolutely clear that she would, under no circumstances, fraternize with a 'knob-head', as she called him. Natsu chuckled as he remembered Erza's horrid expression, sported while declining the offer for the last time in her apartment.

The night club where this party was to be held was situated in some part of East Magnolia. This particular area was known for its spectacular night life and a myriad controversies, coming as they were, from a fertile ground of gossips. However, with every flashing locality in Magnolia comes a catch, and sure enough, this particular part of the city was rather infamously segmented into two sections; one for the humbler folk like him and Bacchus, who could shell out enough money to have a decent party in a decent place. The other section contained clubs that were meant for only the rich and well-off. The segmentation did not bother Natsu much, although, he'd always been curious to know more about the kind of night life the people on the other side had. It was not to say that it was any different from his, but there might be some additional oomph to it, he assumed.

Natsu shrugged off that thought as the taxi neared its destination. He got off once it came to a halt, paid the driver his due and showed his pass to the bouncers who let him in immediately.

Inside, the air smelt like a mixture of alcohol and women's perfume. It was the kind of smell that could make one feel nauseous and dizzy, but for Natsu, it was the part and parcel of his social life. He spotted the birthday boy at the bar counter with two beautiful females nestled in his arms, drinking, what seemed to be, the fifth glass of whiskey in front of him.

"Natsu mah boy!" Bacchus slurred, as he spotted his friend making his way towards him. "I'm glad you made it," he dashed forward and gave Natsu a tight hug.

"You the man bro," he said, punching him lightly on the chest. The two girls who had almost melted into Bacchus two seconds ago were now eyeing the newcomer with great interest. "You've just made a biiiiiig place for yourself in this industry. Great bro! Great!" Bacchus clapped sloppily.

Natsu smirked and fished into his pockets.

"Well, it's not time yet but yeah," he got hold of a tiny box submerged well into the depths of his trouser's pockets. These were cufflinks that he had bought as a present for his friend. "Happy birthday."

Bacchus frowned as he looked at the tiny rectangular case.

"You kiddin' me bro? You make me look like a five year old! Didn't have to get this. Apparently, you're the first person who got me a present."

Natsu waved his hand dismissively and shoved the box into Bacchus's shaking hands.

"Have it now. This is also a token of my appreciation for getting my first photo shoot done."

"Awwwwwwweeeeeee you cute little thing," Bacchus drawled, grabbing Natsu's shoulders. He was half spent already and something even as trivial as this seemed to make him overly emotional.

"Come join us on the dance floor."

He pushed him forward into the mass of swaying bodies and Natsu let the music set in. He found a few familiar faces up ahead, one of them being Natalia, the girl he'd dated a month back. Natsu smirked as he remembered exactly how hot that woman was. He inched closer to her and Natalia was absolutely delighted to see him after a long time.

"Natsu!" she screeched over the deafening music. "Oh my god!"

He grinned as she flew straight into his arms.

"You look amazing today," he whispered into her ears and the woman gave him that oh so seductive look that would always make his bones feel like jelly.

"I think we can make up for the time we weren't together, what say?" she winked.

"I say. Absolutely."

For a few hours, the party went on like this. The beats became quirkier after every number, and the dancing bodies on the floor became wilder as litres after litres of alcohol were drained by them. Natsu had started to feel slightly edgy as well and Natalia had completely passed out in his arms, making him support her entire weight on his shoulders. He sighed and moved towards an empty seat away from the dance floor and let her slump into it.

There was something in the air today, he assumed. Something that made him feel completely out of place, as if this world didn't belong to him anymore. Never in his entire life had Natsu felt this way. There was this uneasiness at the back of his mind that clawed at his insides. It felt as if his instincts were trying to say something very crucial to him; something that he ought to listen to, but something that failed to get through to him.

He wrestled with that feeling for practically an hour, trying to distract himself by dancing some more, drinking some more, but it came back with vicious strikes on regular intervals, making him give up finally and excusing himself to take some fresh air outside.

Once out of the confined area, Natsu felt renewed. He had no idea what was wrong with him today. Perhaps, it had something to do with the heated argument he had with that jerk back at Carlton? Technically, Natsu Dragneel was not the one to think about an altercation for too long after it happened, but the fact that he had ruined the treat and actually behaved like _that _in front of Jellal Fernandez, might be the irritant that was constantly pricking at him from within.

When he couldn't identify the root cause of his problems, he decided to take a walk down the pavement without a plan or sense of direction. He just wanted to do something; get into an activity and pursue it unwaveringly to put the nagging feeling at bay. The peculiar sensation, coupled with the incident at Carlton, was troubling him to the point of torture, and he had to do something in order to immunize himself against such a quandary.

A cool breeze swept past him as he rounded a corner into an alley which he remembered was the short cut to the _other _side of the divide; the section where the rich partied. He didn't know why, but the more he walked down the alley towards the point which opened into the said section, the bothersome feeling accentuated steadily, making it impossible for him to push away the anxiety that now consumed his heart. Despite the possible negative consequences of his actions, he didn't stop his journey down the path, looking like someone akin to a person walking in a trance. For some inexplicable reason, he had conviction in the idea that his troubles would subside the moment he would reach the end of the small path and walk into the other section.

The roads in this part seemed broader and cleaner. Occasionally, big expensive cars lined the streets, and muffled music from the clubs on both sides of the road, drifted towards him through the night air.

Natsu Dragneel walked on without much thought, as if some force ahead of him lured him towards itself. It sounded like someone's call; a tiny whisper in his ear, uttered in a language he did not understand, but comprehensive enough for him to follow it. He walked forth in pursuit of the mystic charmer, his instincts clouding his better judgment and silencing any opposition from logic.

And surely, as he continued down the dark, deserted road, he saw a lone figure teetering on the edge of the pavement quite some distance ahead. He stopped for a moment, wondering if it was okay for him to follow the person. He'd already picked a fight with a big shot in Carlton and he didn't want to get into the same situation in less than twenty four hours. This was the other side of East Magnolia where people with copious amounts of money partied, and he was just a struggling model who had managed to grab a big project a day ago.

Despite his reservations, he decided to follow his instincts and tailed the staggering figure, resolving to keep a safe distance. The street lights had dimmed somewhat and the clubs had fallen far behind. As Natsu neared his sole source of attention, he could make out the figure of a young, slender woman walking unsteadily along the sidewalk, her head falling to her sides occasionally, as if it had been nipped off her shoulders. Her frame quavered and one of her arms seemed thicker than the other. Natsu wondered if it was actually a plaster on her left arm that made it seem bigger.

He looked around. There was not a single soul out in the streets. A car or two passed by infrequently, but apart from him and that mysterious woman up ahead, the streets were deserted.

Natsu decided to quicken his pace. Logic screamed he take a U-turn and get out of the place, but his instincts, as usual, overrode all rhyme and reasons. Shaking aside that nagging feeling that had made a comeback after a brief respite, he pursued the lady who refused to move steadily. Her pace had receded and she seemed to be swaying dangerously. Any time now, she would stumble and fall face first onto the ground. He called out to her in panic.

It took only a second. Natsu made a dash for her flailing body but failed to reach on time. By the time he had approached her, she'd fallen and was writhing in pain, her plastered arm lying perpendicular to her head, and her various bandages shining under the street lights.

"Hey there miss," Natsu said worriedly. "Are you OK?"

The young lady rolled her head from side to side, moaning loudly. Natsu's heart beat doubled as he moved to the front to have a good look at her face.

As he pushed a strand of golden hair out of her face, he was taken aback by the mesmerizing beauty that almost blazed back at him. She was, indeed, a very pretty lady with porcelain skin and delicate features. Even through the dark kohl on her eyes, he could make out the faint colour of her irises; they were a stunning shade of light brown.

Natsu shook his head and blinked his eyes. It was _not _the time to think about things that didn't matter in his current situation in the least. The lady was in trouble and he had to do something quick.

He started by asking some important questions about her identity and residence. She did not seem to be carrying any wallet, handbag or any such belongings with her so he had to depend on a verbal answer. But, the young blonde did not open her mouth. Instead, she narrowed her eyes and tried to look at him through her dark, heavy lids.

Natsu tried again, only to receive a groan in return. She was definitely drunk and drunk stupid at that. She could have come out of any of the clubs back in the street. Looking at her expensive clothes and considering the place he had found her in, it was safe to deduce that she was from a well-off family. In fact, Natsu would have been lying had he said that he didn't think her face was familiar. She could easily have been some famous socialite or other personality that he failed to recognise. Nevertheless, the situation demanded a swift response and he was anything but reluctant to do the same.

He had to act fast.

He extracted his mobile phone from his pants pocket and speed dialled Erza's number. She picked up the phone after three long rings.

"_What_ _is_ _it_ _Natsu_?"

"Trouble," he said. "Will explain once I get back. I'm bringing someone with me," he cut the phone before Erza had the time to respond. He stuffed it hastily into its place and gingerly picked up the lady.

"You'll be fine," he said to her, but the woman had passed out in his arms.

* * *

Jellal Fernandez dashed into his mansion and ran straight to a sobbing Juvia and an ashamed Sebastian.

"What happened?" he blurted, trying to catch his breath. Gray came to a halt right next to him, clutching at a stitch in his chest.

Juvia looked up with teary eyes. They met Jellal's and she looked away in disgrace.

"Juvia. What happened to Lucy?" Gray had moved forward and grabbed his wife by the shoulders.

Juvia did not answer for a minute. Jellal looked up at Sebastian whose eyes were fixed on his feet. None of them seemed to be able to put thoughts into words.

"Forgive me, Jellal," began the blue haired woman. "You'd given me this responsibility by putting so much faith into me and I…and I turned you down. I'm terribly sorry."

Jellal moved closer to her and said softly, "You need to tell me what happened. I'm not blaming you for anything, and I'm sure it can never be your fault."

Juvia wiped her tears and looked up at her husband's best friend. She was plagued by guilt and Jellal could see that in her eyes.

"I was with the kids when it happened. I had just checked on Lucy. She had taken her medicines and had apparently fallen asleep. Sebastian had gone out to check the perimeters for his night duty and the maids had gone to have their dinner. A few minutes later, when Sebastian returned to guard her room, Lucy had vanished! I have no idea where she is now Jellal, I'm terribly sorry," with this, she burst into tears and dug herself into Gray's arms who comforted her with a worried expression on his face. He turned to look at Jellal for a second and they seemed to be together in their conviction.

Jellal placed a hand on Juvia's back.

"It's not your fault," he said gently. "I should be thankful instead that you decided to look after my sister for the night. You have your own family to take care of and you still came to my place on my request. You are not at fault," he then turned to look at Sebastian.

"Did you check the CCTV footage? There might be some evidence."

Sebastian shook his head.

"I went to check immediately after the incident, sir," said the enormous man, his head hung low. "But it seems they have been tampered with. I'm afraid to bring this out, sir, but there are clear signs of inside help. I have assembled all the domestic helpers and officials in the kitchen. We'll have to interrogate them."

Jellal nodded solemnly. He had anticipated this little development.

"As far as Lucy is concerned, I'm pretty sure I know where she might be at the moment. I know it was not her intention to leave the house," He looked at Gray who nodded slightly.

"She must be in some club, partying away to glory," said the latter through gritted teeth. "You take it down in writing Jellal. She has been doing this for ages. We all know it. It's just that, today, she's really not in the condition to go for a party and her escape has become a little more… conspicuous."

Jellal let out a forceful breath and sunk into the nearest sofa.

"Life is laughing at me Gray. It is playing this ridiculously sick joke that it assumes I can't ever get tired of. My own staff! I cannot put faith in my own staff!"

"I had warned you Jellal. Your little sister is a smart ass who knows how to get things done," countered Gray.

"I'll look into this matter myself, sir," suggested Sebastian, eager to undo the damage and alleviate his employer's stress. "I'll interrogate those fools and have them replaced once and for all. But, this will happen only after they have received their adequate punishment."

"Punishment?" intercepted Jellal in that morbid, tone-less manner that he was known for. "What kind of punishment would do them any good? We'll remove them from their jobs and hire new ones. The cycle will start again and the new ones will deceive us as well. What good is it going to do to anybody? The fault does not lie in them. No, not at all. The fault lies in _me_ for having distanced myself from my sister during the crucial years."

"Jellal don't start with that again," moaned a very pissed Gray. Juvia was still nestled in his arms, but she had stopped crying by that point of time. Her focus was now on her husband's friend and devising ways to console him.

"How many times do I've to tell you to not blame yourself for every damn thing that happens under this roof! It has started to get on my nerves now. If you don't shut up this instance, I'll seriously consider socking your face, you got that?" Gray breathed heavily after giving his firm warming.

Jellal looked up and gave a forced, hollow smile.

"I wouldn't mind Gray,' he said honestly. "I deserve it to say the least."

Gray had almost lunged at his friend when Juvia grabbed him by his shoulders and stroked his hand to calm him down. Gray took a deep breath, nodded at Sebastian, and yanked Jellal up roughly.

"Let's deal with this situation in a very direct manner, once and for all. You need to set things straight with your sister and this is the best time to do it. Rather than sitting here and sulking in a corner, you should go and get her back before it's too late."

Jellal did not resist. He let his friend handle him as roughly as he could to show his frustration and anger because he knew Gray was doing the right thing. Their priority was getting Lucy back and making sure she didn't do anything that would further deteriorate her mental and physical condition. They couldn't let her go out on her own in such a fragile state.

At that moment, when he was being dragged out of the house by his elbow, Jellal felt like he was all alone in the world; it was a peculiar sensation that made it seem like he was floating in some empty dimension that just spread like an endless carpet of black as far as his eyes could see. In that instance of utter loneliness, he felt like grabbing the warm hand of his mother; he felt like reaching out to her and melting in her embrace so that she could mutter sweet somethings into his ears and soothe him, ease that pain which threatened his very existence.

But for Jellal, something seemed to have been killed within him, and his body had stopped reacting to commands and intentions. That was precisely why Gray had to literally drag him towards the door to get him into the car. Jellal only heard his friend faintly as he gave instructions to Sebastian and said something to Juvia before he got into the car after thrusting him inside.

Gray had said that it was time to set things straight with Lucy. It was a clear and unambiguous statement, and there was no doubt about the meaning of this sentence. But, its implementation and practical application seemed very far-fetched. How on earth was Jellal supposed to do that? How would he even face his sister? She, who was the rightful owner of this estate? Did he even have the right to say anything to her or show some authority over her? How could he even exercise that right (if he could call it a right over forceful, uncalled for takeover) when he really did not have a legitimate claim to this house?

Unpleasant memories dating back to his childhood, flooded Jellal's mind, making him feel absolutely shallow. He remembered how, on that fateful day, his mother had grabbed his tiny hand and guided him over the threshold of this very mansion into an unknown world to which he had a distant, formal claim. He had been very apprehensive, very scared. He had even snivelled in a corner for the entirety of that day, haunted by the strange, unfamiliar walls that surrounded him. This very mansion had been an outlandish structure that had jeered at him for being an outsider. He had, at that point of time, felt what he was feeling right now. But at that moment, he had a mother to hold on to; that graceful lady who'd always managed to drive the fear and anxiety out of his heart. Today, with no such support system around, Jellal had reverted back to that little seven year old boy who sniffed unremittingly in a dark corner.

That is why as the car drove swiftly over the driveway and burst out into the night, Jellal Fernandez felt his life morph into the dark, sinister sky that spread outside the window.

* * *

Erza had been in the middle of brushing her teeth when her phone had rung. The shrill warble disturbed her chain of thoughts which was lingering around the incidents that had occurred at Carlton. She had been in the middle of solving the mystery of a certain blue haired man's light green and lonely eyes, when she was brought back on the ground. She had quickly washed her face and made a dash for the device.

It was Natsu as usual.

When she picked up the phone, she heard this unusual tone that she could not believe, came from her friend.

He sounded worried. Extremely worried.

Hardly in the twenty two years that she had known Natsu had he sounded so vexed. There were only a few occasions that could manage to wreck his nerves, and this possible situation that he had encountered, which Erza had no idea about, must be something extremely problematic.

For hours after the hurried conversation over the phone, she paced her drawing room, occasionally stopping to peer out of her window for signs of her friend's arrival or biting her nails in tension. She had tried calling him several times after the short call but he never picked up the phone.

He had said he was bringing someone with him.

Erza wondered who this _someone _could be, as she made herself a steaming cup of coffee to sooth her nerves. What connection could this someone have to Natsu?

Most importantly, why did Natsu sound so apprehensive? Was he in some grave trouble or was this _someone _in problem?

Questions after questions raided Erza's peace, causing her to start talking to herself. She also went to the bathroom thrice in fifteen minutes with no particular intention of easing herself. She was just being restless, and this restlessness would not come to an end until Natsu showed up on her doorstep.

After about thirty minutes of non-stop pacing and muttering, the doorbell finally rang. Erza galloped towards the door without a second thought and wrenched it open.

The sight that greeted her forced her jaw to drop.

Before her stood Natsu, ruffled and fidgety, carrying an unconscious woman in his arms. Well to be precise, the woman was not just unconscious but also injured. She had a plaster on her left arm and several bruises over her slender body.

"Natsu, _what is the meaning of this?"_

The pink head clicked his tongue. "Let me in at least!"

Erza moved aside immediately as Natsu edged past her towards the bedroom. Once inside, he tenderly put the woman on the bed and covered her with the sheets, making sure her injured hand was placed carefully on her belly.

Erza grabbed Natsu by his arm and dragged him out of the room. Once outside, she turned around with a very annoyed look on her face and ground out,

"Don't tell me this is some girlfriend of yours that you have screwed and now you have brought her to my place for conciliation. I will not-"

"Whoa! Erza! Calm down!" Natsu intercepted with his hands held up in surrender.

"This is _not _my girlfriend. Hell, I don't even know her! I found her in the other section of East Magnolia, if you know what I mean."

Erza frowned.

"You don't know her? Then what is she doing here? Why is she in such a condition? And, you said you found her in the other section, didn't you? Do you mean to say that she is some rich woman and that you have got yourself into trouble again?"

"If you are gonna ask me so many questions at the same time, Erza, my head is going to burst while trying to keep up with all of them. You really need to calm down first. You're paranoid at the moment."

"Heck yeah I am!" retorted the red head. "Do you think I should _chill,_ knowing that there is some socialite cum billionaire heiress in my bedroom who has just been picked up from some random place by my friend without any introduction and pleasantries? What are we gonna do when she wakes up? Do you even know where she lives? Did you try to find out?"

"I did. I tried to, but she does not have anything on her you see, no wallet, nothing. She was kinda staggering along the sidewalk and I decided to follow her thinking she was in trouble. And surely, she passed out there and then! She could have come from anywhere Erza, and we were away from the area where the clubs are. Do you think I should have left her there to fend for herself with those injuries or carried her around, asking people to claim her! I could not bring myself to do it so I picked her up, searched for a taxi and came to your place, knowing that you would help me out with this."

Erza wanted to say something but could not form an appropriate sentence. She knew Natsu had done the right thing from a humanitarian point of view. But from a _social _point of view, it felt like they had landed themselves in deep shit.

"What were you doing on the other side anyway?" she asked instead.

Natsu looked away. "I wanted some fresh air so I decided to walk down the alley. Somehow, I stumbled into the other side."

Erza let out a forceful breath and slumped into a nearby couch, her face dug into her hands. Today was surely an _eventful _day, to say the least. First, they picked up a fight with Jellal Fernandez and his friend in Fiore's richest hotel and now, Natsu had brought home an unknown entity in a very fragile condition. For Erza, it felt like trouble itself was lying on her bed.

"So, what's the plan?"

Natsu shrugged.

"I can see only two options here. A, we try to figure out who she is 'coz she looks really familiar and then report to her family. B, we wait for her to gain consciousness and ask her who she is and where she has come from. Tell me if you have some other idea 'coz coming up with plans is not my cup of tea."

Erza shook her head. Now that he had mentioned it, the young blonde did look familiar to her. She was sure she had seen her in a news spread or magazine some time back, but she could not come to a definite conclusion. Everything seemed vague and hazy to her at the moment.

"Gosh! When will life stop giving me troubles?"

* * *

The sleek Bentley drove down a very deserted street in East Magnolia. It would come to a halt every five minutes or so, and a certain agitated black haired man would emerge out of it in that instant, dashing into the clubs for inquiry. However, every attempt would prove unproductive and he would come out with a fallen face, giving a negative response to his friend who sat terrified in the car.

"Not here as well," said Gray as he slumped into his seat. There was only one more place left to inquire.

"Where could she be? This is like a second home to her! She _should _be here!"

The car came to a halt before their final destination. This time, Jellal came out as well, determined to get his sister back.

"I'm coming with you."

The two friends dashed into an atmosphere full of drinks, swaying bodies and blinding lights.

Jellal narrowed his eyes as he tried to look for a familiar face in the crowd. When he could not find who he wanted to find, he dashed to the bar counter and called for the bar tender's attention.

"Was Lucy Heartfilia here for the party? Did you see her around?" he asked, knowing well that his sister would be a known personality in any of these places.

The young man answered in the affirmative.

"Certainly, sir. She did take a couple of shots here. Where she is know, I have no idea."

Gray cursed under his breath.

Jellal mumbled a hasty 'thank you' to the youth and guided Gray out of the suffocating atmosphere. They stopped by to make some inquiries at the entrance from the bouncers who gave them a very vague picture.

"She did go out, but many people do. We can't possibly keep a tab on all of them. It is our duty to guide and direct the area behind these doors, not outside them. I am sorry to say this, but this is not our responsibility. We have no idea where she is now."

Gray had almost grabbed one of them by the collar and screeched 'who the fuck let you have this job?' before the second one decided to give them a head start.

"She went that way sir."

The two friends made a dash for their car. They had now set out on the path upon which Lucy Heartfilia had stumbled a few hours ago, trying to determine where she could be now. They had no idea about that simple twist of destiny that had landed her in a place with those two individuals who were to soon become a very important part of their hitherto uneventful existence.

Jellal looked out of the car window, his eyes searching for his kid sister on the deserted street and his fingers crossed on top of his thighs. He could only pray and hope that she was fine.

"_Where are you Lucy? Where are you?"_

* * *

At the same moment, on the other side of the city, Erza Scarlet hovered over the sleeping frame of the young blonde, carefully observing her features. She knew she had seen her before, but her memory was playing tricks on her. She rushed towards the storeroom to browse through some old magazines and papers. Natsu had also started doing his bit to know more about the mysterious lady.

_Page 3, celeb gossip, she must be up there somewhere_, thought Erza, as she furiously flipped through countless pages. The heat in the room was starting to get onto her nerves but she persevered, determined to find a solution to the problem. She did not have the strength and patience to wait for the lady to wake up. She knew it could mean even more trouble, so she decided to do the job as the woman rested, so that her family or friends could come in and take her away before the situation got any worse. Moreover, she had a school to attend the next day.

For about fifteen minutes, Erza did the searching minus a single positive lead. A time came when she thought she'd never be able to accomplish her task, but that was precisely when Natsu Dragneel gave a loud yelp from the drawing room and called her immediately.

Erza broke into a run and faced a very pale Natsu who was busy looking up at something on her laptop.

"What? Did you find out?" she asked, out of breath.

Natsu looked up very slowly and met her eyes. It seemed like he'd seen a ghost.

"Well, I was trying to figure out who she is on the web, you know, just grasping at straws. But then I got this Facebook message and I decided to check it out. This is what I found on my notifications," he turned the laptop so that Erza could have a better look at it.

"_Holy_…" muttered Erza, as she glanced at the screen.

One of Natsu's friends had made a post on his wall regarding his _dream girl _and had dedicated a very flowery poem to her. The girl's pictures lined underneath the status, and Erza just couldn't take her eyes off the images.

_It was her._

But, that was not the shocking aspect of the post.

Not in the least.

Beneath the post, the words that had been written in caps were what bothered Erza and Natsu the most.

BE MINE, O DIVINE BEAUTY, LUCY HEARTFILIA FERNANDEZ.

* * *

**A/N: I am on cloud nine at the moment. The number of reviews and appreciation that I am getting for this story is mind boggling! :D (I don't even have an appropriate emoticon to exhibit my feelings).**

**Lots of love to the following people for posting their reviews and for the likes and alerts: jj, guest, Sasuke Kobayashi, i-miss-u, penguin trainer, NRZWolf 13, 1fairytaillover, zulka, LuckyLifeSmile, DarkXFeatheredCosmic, literallyshutup, CailHunter, neyma.**

**Also,**

**NRZWolf 13: *evil smirk* I ain't telling you that so soooonnn...bwaahhahahahah! :P Well for now you can say that she is a... well... spoilt brat who loves partying all day long and spending lot's and lot's of money (Not saying that partying is bad. Partying 24X7 is bad) Now, what compelled her to waste her life like that and harbour such strong hatred towards her brother is something which is essential to the story and will be revealed at the right time...sorry for being such a meanie but yeah, I guess it will be worth the wait. That's what I hope for ;)**

**So folks, don't hesitate to put something into that little box below and press the button. This particular act will do wonders for the author and give her lot's of motivation to continue bettering her performance ;)**

**-Aeria Swordlancer**


	6. A Benevolent Mistake

**I seriously need some sleep and nourishment. I have been doing away with these essential components of life for the past few days and I feel like I have just emerged from a grave X_X**

**Anyway, back to some **_**significant **_**issues! *ahem*...This chapter was originally meant to be like THE chapter...you know, where Erza meets Jellal and they chit chat...but it turns out, the flow of this story (if you know what I mean) prevented me from penning down that scene. Trust me, I had written more than what has been published, but it made the chappy seem very rushed. So, I decided to slash that bit off and save it for the next chapter... *dodges tomatoes being thrown by eager Jerza lovers who have been on tenterhooks for weeks***

**Disclaimer: Fairy Tail and its characters belong to Hiro Mashima.**

* * *

**-CHAPTER SIX-**

**A Benevolent Mistake  
**

* * *

Erza Scarlet couldn't help but laugh bitterly at the sheer _awkwardness _of her situation. This was the second time in a day that her path had crossed Jellal Fernandez's, and all she could was sit in one corner and ponder upon the truthfulness of the state of affairs. At times, she would think of this entire scenario as a unique dream that would shatter the moment her alarm clock would ring, but deep down, she knew that this was false and the woman that lay on her bed was indeed Lucy Heartfilia Fernandez, Jellal Fernandez's younger sister. Every time she looked at her face, she was reminded that the situation was as real as the moon that shone outside her window.

Currently, she sat next to her bed, staring at the pretty face of her unexpected guest.

"Hey Erza! I found some numbers!" whispered Natsu as he entered the room, carrying her laptop. He seemed molested and haggard. It was his social service urge that had landed them into this _peculiar_ spot in the first place.

He tiptoed across the room and turned the screen towards his friend. He had opened up an online telephone directory and narrowed down on the official land-line numbers for the Fernandez Group of Industries.

"They have a lot of branches and divisions but I think the first number belongs to their main office," he said, pointing at the first search result.

Erza nodded as she reached for her mobile phone that was lying on the side table.

The two friends had been dumb-struck when they had come to know about the mysterious woman's true identity. They had not spoken for about fifteen minutes; for the said amount of time, they had been frozen and immobilized by the sheer force of the revelation, thinking of ways in which they could wriggle themselves free from this web. When they could not come up with a solution, they decided to do the most obvious thing that they could think of doing at a time like this.

It was not like they could hide this from anyone for a long time. The head of the Fernandez group of industries would definitely come out to look for his sister, and it was better for them to inform him first than the latter getting to know about the situation through indirect means. The second scenario would definitely spell out some serious trouble for them.

Thus, Natsu had taken it upon himself to do the job and get through to the man himself, using all means possible. Practically, it was unworkable to approach the business tycoon directly, so they decided to call up his company and pass on the essential information.

However, there was another grave problem that needed to be addressed.

"Natsu, do you think they are open at this point of time? It's two in the morning! _And _do you think it is pragmatic to call up the main office and give such sensitive information to the employees? I mean, this is related to Mr Fernandez's personal life. He may not want others to know about it."

Natsu considered the problem for a moment and his heart sunk.

"You're right, but we have no choice! As far as the main office is concerned, it might not be open. Where do we leave the message then?" The two friends looked at each other and sighed. Another dead-end.

Their collective life seemed to have been wedded to nuisances of all sorts.

"Damn!" cursed Erza, fighting back the urge to flip over a table. If things continued to be the way they were, she could have a nervous breakdown by morning.

_Why did it have to come to this?_

Natsu set aside the laptop and slumped into a small chair by the bed. Before him lay Lucy Heartfilia Fernandez, deep in slumber, her bruises looking very dangerous and life threatening in the dim light of the room.

"She had to be _his _sister? Of all people!" he moaned, as he carefully observed her gentle _yet_ hardened features, a very incomprehensible expression etched onto his face.

Erza walked over to the window and looked up at the sky. For the first time in life, she felt like a helpless puppet whose strings were being pulled by an almighty entity that thought it fun to play with people's lives. She could see the strings jutting out of her joints, manipulating her into doing things that she could have never done otherwise. It was funny how a cruel twist of fate had brought her into the same spot on the very same day.

However, when she turned around to look at the sleeping frame of Lucy, she realized something very essential; something that she and Natsu had completely forgotten about, owing to the suddenness and incredulity of the situation. They were not the sinners, they were the saviours. Natsu had done the right thing by saving Ms. Fernandez, so why would he be held responsible for any fault? His deeds and intentions were very noble and he had saved a life. There was no way Erza could let anybody say anything to her friend after what he had done.

It was true that they had no idea what the blonde was doing out on the streets, walking away on her own. The reason could be anything; it could be something very scandalous or something very simple. Either way, it was difficult to determine whether they were free of any trouble or not. But the single aspect that held importance in this entire situation was that Natsu was not wrong. The only thing anybody needed to know was that he had picked up the lady from the streets when she was helpless and unconscious and given her shelter. There was no scope for accusations. At least, not when she was around.

"Natsu, let it be. You have done the right thing so no one will dare hold you responsible for anything. You have saved Ms. Fernandez's life so you will be rewarded for it, not reprimanded. If you are thinking about that hot headed friend of Mr Fernandez, I'll deal with him this time. I didn't say anything to him this evening because it was our fault and we were in an unfamiliar territory. This time, we are at my place and we have done what is right. Let's keep our doubts aside and think about a way to contact Mr Fernandez," Erza knew she was right in her conviction. The gentle features and soft eyes of the said man gave her more confidence.

Natsu looked up at his friend and smirked. The meaning of Erza's words seemed to have settled well into his understanding.

"You're right," he said. "Why should I be afraid of any lunatic, snotty brat when I've done nothing wrong? I saved his friend's sister! They should be thankful!"

"That's my point exactly!" encouraged Erza. The spokes in her wheel had disappeared and she thought about an escape plan with this new found enthusiasm and fervour. When it came to obtaining top secret information, she could only think of one person, capable enough to perform such a feat.

"I think I know someone who can help us out with this. She is adept at handling and extracting all sorts of information. Obtaining a private number will not be a big deal for her," she said, a big grin tugging at her lips.

Natsu raised a brow but understood immediately. Slight traces of a smile could be seen appearing on his face as well. "_Don't_ _tell_ _me._"

Erza nodded and surfed through her contacts, narrowing down on a very useful and frequently used number. It was surprising how she had nearly forgotten about the existence of this very close friend of hers in the past few minutes.

Erza hit the call button and pressed the phone to her ears. It took almost two minutes for the person on the other end to take the call.

"_Hey! Haven't heard from you in a while!"_

"I'm extremely sorry about that Levy, but I'm in fix at the moment and I need your expertise."

"_Go on, shoot. I'm forever at your service."_

'Well, the task may seem a bit _bizarre,_ but I know you can handle it well."

"_Tell me already."_

"I need you to find out Jellal Fernandez's private land-line number."

* * *

As the car drove down the deserted streets in East Magnolia, two figures in the backseat craned their necks through their respective windows for a better look outside.

"I don't see her around," said Gray, exasperated. "She should have been around here somewhere!"

Jellal did not utter a word. Rather, he did not have the strength to utter any word.

"Do you think we should inform the police? We can ask the good old SP to help up us out with his force."

Jellal shook his head. Gray knew he would refuse so he did not press the topic any further.

"How about we ask some of her friends? They should know where she is at the moment."

Again, no response.

Gray sighed and reached for his mobile. He made a quick call to his wife.

"Any news?"

"_No, but we're doing our best here. Why don't you try calling her friends?"_

"I was thinking about it as well. I don't have many numbers, but I can still try. You never know…"

He cut the phone and searched for some extra, rarely used numbers that he had taken down for a situation like this.

This attempt proved to be futile as well. Out of the three, carefully picked numbers that he had, two were not received despite several attempts, and the last call was picked up by an extremely tanked-up individual who was not even in the condition to recall his own name.

"_Fuckin' brats!" _cursed Gray as he cut the phone and stashed it away. Today was definitely not one of his best days.

"I think she has decided to leave me for good," Jellal whispered in a flat tone. His face was impassive and his eyes, empty.

"Don't be ridiculous," retorted Gray. "Do you think she is going to leave the mansion and all that money for good? She must be here somewhere. We need to look more carefully."

"We _expected_ her to be here but she is nowhere to be found. I can't think of any other place where she could be. I have failed miserably."

"Jellal, I think you need to shut up for a while. Don't talk as if everything is lost. I know we will find her."

"Sir!" intercepted the driver, making the car halt abruptly by the pavement.

The two men in the backseat were pushed forward by the sudden movement.

"What is it?" moaned Gray, as his head banged into the head rest ahead.

"I see something on the road down there," said the driver timidly, pointing his finger at a shiny object lying some metres ahead.

Before Gray had the time to react or say anything at all, Jellal had leapt out of the car and sprinted towards the said object. He bent over and picked it up, moving under a street lamp to observe it carefully.

"What is it?" inquired Gray, as he came out to stand next to his friend. He peered over his shoulder to steel a quick glance at the shiny object.

It was a chain with a round pendant, all made up of diamonds.

"Lucy's pendant. Gifted to her by her mom," said Jellal, turning around and spreading it over the palm of his left hand for better display.

It was a very beautiful ornament with intricate details and designs. The chain itself was slim but very luminescent in the dark.

"You do know what this means, don't you?" said Gray, panic starting to seize his heart. Even without saying it, the possibilities seem to be too real and too _damning _to be understood without words.

Jellal looked up at his friend, his eyes brimming with fear. He very well knew the consequences of finding this pendant abandoned on the streets. His sister's safety was all that mattered to him and he would go to any lengths to make sure she was fine, even if that meant doing certain things that he would otherwise never do.

* * *

Levy McGarden, brilliant reporter and an upcoming star in the media industry was stumped by the request that her friend had just made.

There was nothing unusual about that wish, especially if you look at it plainly without considering the specific context in which it had been made. Many of her friends would frequently want to get such information on various superstars but she would politely decline. It was true that she'd a lot of contacts, and that it wasn't difficult for her to obtain such information, but Levy knew better than to abuse her position and resources.

But today, as her dear friend put forth that absurd demand, she had no words to respond with. Not only was it hard for her to believe that _Erza Scarlet _was asking for a celebrity's phone number, but the person whose number she was so keen to obtain was none other than the extremely famous business personality and the hottest bachelor in Fiore, Jellal Fernandez.

Levy considered Erza being drunk but then shrugged off that thought, knowing well that her friend abstained from drinking at all costs. Moreover, she found it difficult to believe that Erza would _fan girl _over some celeb so much that she would ask for his private number.

"Uhm…Erza…What exactly do you need _his _number for?" the bluenette asked rather awkwardly, shifting uneasily on her chair. She had been busy on a new story on child trafficking in Hargeon when her phone had rung. This request had made her forget about her work temporarily.

There was a minute's pause in the conversation. It seemed like Erza was carefully wording her explanation in her mind before she burst out with the story.

Levy almost dropped her pen when she was given a very _thorough_ elucidation for the events that led to the demand for the phone number.

"WHAT?" she burst out, getting up so abruptly that the chair on which she was sitting, fell over with a loud thud.

"You mean to say Lucy Heart-"

"_Shhhhhhhh!"_ Erza hissed desperately. "_Levy please. I want this to stay between you and me. No third party to be involved, OK?"_

The bluenette eased a little and sighed.

"Alright I won't," she said. "But why do you need his private number? I mean, you can call up one of his offices in the morning and pass on the information."

"_Do you think it is wise to disclose Ms. Heartfilia's condition to the employees? This seems to be a really private affair."_

Levy knew her friend was right. But then, why did Erza care so much about Jellal Fernandez's personal affairs and feelings?

Nevertheless, she could not argue any further.

"Ok then. Wait for a couple of minutes. I'll see what I can do."

* * *

For the next twenty minutes, Natsu Dragneel and Erza Scarlet paced the room anxiously, waiting for an important call. Noticing the stained bandages on Ms. Fernandez, Erza had even replaced them with new ones after applying some ointment. The injuries were not deep, but there were so many of them that Erza couldn't help but wonder what might have led to these numerous gashes. _Accident, _she presumed.

Natsu, on the other hand, would occasionally turn around to look at the sleeping figure of the blonde, observing her carefully before getting on with the pacing. He did this at regular intervals, each observation illuminating his face with mild curiosity.

After twenty gruelling minutes, Erza's phone vibrated. The red head was sure she had just exhibited the best reflex of her life.

"Did you get the number?" she said into the phone, her heart pounding furiously against her chest.

"_Do you think I wouldn't have? Take it down fast."_

Erza scanned her surroundings for a note pad and found one lying on the side table. She grabbed it and extracted a pen from one of the drawers.

"Shoot."

Once the number had been written down, Natsu emerged from the other side of the room to peek over Erza's shoulder. The seven digits were a key into the life of his icon but he forced himself to not think of them as such. There was some really urgent business that needed to be done and this was not the time for satisfying a fan's heart.

"Give it to me, I'll do it," he said without thinking, but Erza shook her head.

"No way. I'll make the call. You'll freak out for sure."

Natsu pouted but let Erza have her way.

The red head took a deep breath and peered into the scribble before her.

It felt like committing a grave crime; as if she was forcing herself into the private affairs of a famous man like some obsessed stalker. But what needed to be done, had to be done. Without thinking too much about the consequences of her actions, she typed the number into her mobile and pressed the green button.

"_I hope this goes well," _she prayed, as the shrill ring played in her ear.

"_Hello?" _a very sweet female voice sounded over the phone after nearly five minutes.

Erza stood stunned.

It wasn't like she had not expected anybody to take the call, but the fact that someone had actually responded, made her throat go dry.

"H-h-hello?" she stuttered rather comically, her hands shaking violently. Natsu 'tsked', saying something along the lines of '_and she said I would freak out'_ under his breath.

"_Yes, may I know who I'm talking to at the moment?" _the female voice inquired.

"Lucy Heartfilia is with me," came Erza's blunt outburst without any attempt at framing an appropriate sentence. The moment the words came out of her mouth, she realized she had made a grave mistake. She had not considered the possibility of the phone being tapped and she was pretty sure she sounded like a kidnapper asking for ransom.

"_I beg your pardon?" _said the female, sounding alarmed. "_Who is this? What do you know about Lucy Heartfilia? And where did you get this number from?"_

Natsu slapped his forehead. "_What the hell are you doing?" _he worded soundlessly with elaborate hand gestures.

Erza banged her fist into the wall and cursed in her head. She attempted to correct herself before it was too late to make amends.

"I- I mean, L-Lucy- no, m-madam L-Lucy is with me, s-safe and s-sound. We found h-her in the e-eastern section of Magnolia and b-brought her home," she decided to ignore the last question for obvious reasons.

"_B-152, Rosewood apartments, Cedar Drive, South Magnolia? Is that where you're calling from?"_

The red head gulped. The phone _was_ being tapped.

"Y-yes," she mumbled, trying to sound as calm and confident as possible. "She is s-safe here. P-please come and pick h-her up," the line went dead and Erza just stood there like a fool, the phone still shaking in her hands.

"What happened?" Natsu asked worriedly.

"They are coming to get her," was all Erza could manage to say, as she cast the mobile away from her sight and dashed towards the window at once, attempting to hide her gradually reddening face.

_What an idiot I am!_

* * *

"Thank you for understanding the situation, sir. I look forward to some news from your side."

Gray thanked the Superintendent of Police over the phone for his consideration and time and turned to give Jellal, a thumbs-up.

"He has agreed to help us out," he said, disconnecting the call. "He said he'll ask his men to get on with the search right away. Moreover, he promised to keep this a private affair.'

Jellal nodded and looked out of the window. After the futile attempt in East Magnolia, they had decided to get back home and leave the business into the able hands of the SP.

Gray placed a hand on his best friend's shoulder and patted it gently.

"Don't worry buddy. Your sister will be OK. We'll find her in no time."

Jellal nodded once. He held the pendant gingerly in his hands and stroked its smooth surface. The more he did that, the more his mind showed him bits from the past; the striking memories of a blonde woman with passionate eyes who had died asking for her rights and lawful entitlements.

"_I will not let anything happen to your daughter. I promise," _he thought, looking up at the starry sky. It was true that he had lost all hope and given up a few minutes ago, but the discovery of this pendant on the streets, and the fact that he felt its warmth in his enclosed hands, infused him with such steadfastness that he thought he was never capable of having.

As the car turned around a corner that led to the Fernandez mansion, Gray's mobile phone let out a shrill yell. The startled man grabbed it immediately and put it to his ear.

"What happened Juvia? Did you find out about Lucy?"

He stayed silent for a moment, listening to his wife talk with escalating excitement. When the conversation was over, he said 'I'm on it right away,' before turning to look at Jellal with a triumphant grin on his lips.

"Guess what?" he said, exhilaration radiating from his tone. "We _found her!"_

Jellal could not believe a word of this jubilant proclamation.

"You _what_?"

"We _found_ her!" Gray repeated, giving him the peace sign. As if on cue, he received a text message containing an address at that very moment.

"You see this Jellal? This is where your sister is right now," he said, flashing the screen before his friend's eyes. Jellal got hold of the phone and looked at the message as if it were some messiah sent from heaven.

He thanked god for having alleviated his pain and for making him see the brilliant ray of hope as soon as he had asked for it. The only thing he was bothered about now was to get his sister back home, and he sat in silence for the rest of the journey, praying for her well-being.

"South Magnolia it is," Gray said to the driver, easing back on his seat.

* * *

"What exactly did they say?"

"How many times do I have to tell you? They figured out the address themselves and cut the phone. This only means that they are coming to get her."

"Who picked up the phone anyway? Was it Jellal Fernandez?"

Natsu and Erza had decided to come out of the room to have this heated conversation. When the former had first asked this question ferociously back in the room, his loud outburst had stirred Ms. Fernandez, who then started mumbling something inaudible in her sleep. Panicking, the duo had decided to lay the conversation at rest. However, Natsu, being the impatient lad that he was, couldn't take it anymore and he grabbed Erza by the sleeve of her shirt to drag her out of the room to know everything that he could about the telephone conversation.

Erza sighed and shook her head.

"It wasn't him. It was some lady."

"A _lady?"_

"What is so surprising about that Natsu? Can't there be a lady in Mr Fernandez's house?"

"I never said that! It's just that he's single and-"

"Oh for heaven's sake! It could have been a maid or some friend! Stop acting like a page 3 reporter."

Natsu blushed at the rejoinder.

"Alright, putting that aside," he said. "Who do you think is going to come to pick her up?"

Erza shrugged.

"No idea. It could be anybody," she said. "But the point is that we have to be confident, no matter what. They should thank us for saving her life."

Natsu made a face.

"Ya right. You didn't really sound like a saviour over the phone. Sounded more like an slapdash prankster to me."

It was Erza's time to blush.

"Lemme guess," said Natsu with a sly grin plastered on his face.

"You were expecting Jellal Fernandez to pick up the phone and were utterly disappointed when you heard a woman's voice. Oh, you might even be jealous, if you know what I mean!"

Erza jumped at Natsu's throat but he dodged at the nick of time.

"NO! It's not that!"

"What if his pacifying tendencies and gentle manners have warmed the cockles of your heart and you have fallen for him? That is why your heart must be fluttering right now, expecting Jellal Fernandez to show up at your doorstep any moment-"

_**DingDong**__._

The duo froze; Natsu crouching on the floor in an attempt to evade Erza's advancing punch and the latter almost suspended in mid-air, about to crash down on her friend with all her might.

"Wow! That was fast," muttered Natsu, his eyes wide open in astonishment.

Erza was sure her heart had jumped up to her throat.

"YOU TAKE THE DOOR!" the two declared at the same time, pointing nervously at each other.

"This is your house Erza! You should be the one receiving them, his, her, whosoever it is!"

"Oh really? You were the one who brought her here! It's your responsibility!"

"But you can handle them better! If it's really Jellal Fernandez on the other side of the door, I might just end up spelling more trouble for you!"

Erza stopped short as she considered the plea.

Natsu was right. Out of the two, she was way more level headed and practical (ignoring the disaster of a phone call made a few minutes ago) and she ought to receive the guests. She quickly played the possible interaction and conversation in her head, trying to carefully construct what she would say to explain the situation. When her attempts did not yield any result, she decided to rely on her extempore skills and walked nervously towards the door. Natsu coiled his hands around her wrist as she reached for the eye-hole.

The sight that greeted her knocked the breath out of her for a few minutes. It was Carlton all over again.

"_Shit!_ _It's_ _them_," she whispered, grabbing Natsu's hand and shaking it slightly. The latter gulped quite audibly.

The doorbell rang again, five times in succession. Angry sounds perforated the wood and reached the inside of the apartment.

Erza shut her eyes for a moment, collected her breath and placed her hands on the door handle. With a slight click, the apparatus came swinging in, eliminating the barrier between the saviours and the…well…_deliverers._

* * *

As the door swung open, revealing the modest quarters, Gray Fullbuster was appalled to see the ridiculously coloured hair for the second time in a day. Owing to the position in which he was standing, the hair was what caught his attention at the first blush and he retched after lowering his level of sight to examine the face of its owner.

He could have just ripped off the door panel.

**"YOU!'**

* * *

**A/N: First and foremost, my heartfelt gratitude to the following people for reviewing, favourit**_**ing **_**and following my work: DarkXFeatheredCosmic, Keke, Burned Down, babylovee, zatanga, skywaters, jj, lol, penguin trainer, helekiller2, DarksideWolf, OpenOtaku, michaluna, LuckyLifeSmile, Assaulttype-PJ, MiniMii-Chan, yukiruhina23, Alicia Testarossa, Rose Fang. U guys rock!**

**Also,**

**Skywaters- naahh, that's not a flame. That's a constructive criticism. :) You know what? A lot of my friends who have read Second Chances share this opinion. Erza is meant to be badass and stuff. Agreed. But the story does not allow me to portray her as such. Erza is supposed to be commoner; a teacher who earns a decent living. Gray, on the other hand, is an extremely rich businessman. That was Erza's first time in an expensive restaurant and she did not know what to do when things went out of hand. I did state this story might contain a bit of OOCness and I am extremely sorry if that really bothered you. Worry not! You will soon see bits of the Erza we know in the next chapter ;) And yeah, don't hesitate to critique the work thoroughly!**

**As far as this chapter is concerned, I just had to put Levy in there! I adore her so much and her character is actually based off on a dream that I had a few days back. In that dream, Levy was an extremely popular reporter who could get her work done with a snap of a finger. I could just cuddle her to death! ^w^**

**And what are you guys waiting for? The magic box is right there :P**

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V


	7. Sparks

**I loved writing this chapter. That's all I can say.**

**Mahima-sensei, please let me own Fairy Tail! If not the entire series, just give me Jellal Fernandez! I WANT JELLY! :'(**

* * *

**-CHAPTER SEVEN-**

**Sparks**

* * *

As the door swung open, revealing a modest pad, Gray Fullbuster's bitterest curse came flying out of his mouth, reverberating through the corridor and creating a pretext for an eerie silence that was maintained for almost five minutes. Within the said amount of time, many emotions came bursting out of the four individuals, their amusing mixture and juxtaposition, creating a very tense atmosphere that was at the verge of exploding any second.

Natsu Dragneel clenched his fists in response to the colourful language used by the black haired man at the door. Not that the reaction on the other end was any different or less intense, for that matter. Heated glares were exchanged between the two, the aura surrounding them, inflammable enough to set the place on fire. It seemed as if the two were experiencing a strong build-up; a piling up of the worst of blasphemes and profanities that fuelled their hatred and crashed against the gates of resistance and decency to be let free like wild dogs out of their leashes.

However, for a certain bluenette and red-head, the five minutes meant something quite different and _other-worldly._

Erza Scarlet absolutely forgot about the existence of some other person at the door as her gaze settled on Jellal Fernandez. It was as if her senses had suddenly blocked of their own accord, functioning enough to perceive the presence of just one person that stood in front of her. For a reason that she could not discern, her breath hitched in her throat as she carefully observed the olive green eyes that twinkled back at her for an amount of time, longer than what had been available to her at Carlton. The blaze of the light colour had a hypnotic effect; as if something in those gleaming irises were _charming _her, sending her into this trance like state for which she had no earthly explanation. Indeed, the sadness and guilt that seemed to be swimming in that sea of green affected her so much, that she was somehow reminded of her own past. She presumed it to be a chain reaction; despite the fact that she had no idea about the man's personal life and whether or not he had actually gone through terrible and heart-wrenching phases, she could tell that there was something about his unsung story that reflected the essence of her own.

According to Erza, it's funny how your mind can make you deduce such outrageous possibilities at certain points.

On the other side of the divide, Jellal Fernandez felt the same energy course through his veins; a magnetic charge that seemed to set his insides on fire. The moment the door had opened and presented the scarlet haired lady to him, the entire scene from Carlton had played again in his mind, amusing him. He had thought of that encounter as a fleeting moment, yet, here she was, standing before him-the slender, unyielding figure with warm eyes- looking up at him with mild curiosity. He'd assumed the irises to be dark brown in color back at _Alimento,_ but after a clear inspection now, he could see the gentle chocolate brown that infused them with so much warmth.

A chorus of loud, disconcerted grunts was enough to bring the two day dreaming entities back on the ground. The wolves had managed to tug at the leash enough to make it fragile and were ready to pounce on each other.

"What is the meaning of _this?" _spat Gray through gritted teeth, his chest suddenly burning despite the ointment.

Natsu, it seemed, had left behind all his fears and apprehensions. He no longer cared about the saviour- debtor equation. Something on the black haired man's face made his blood go up and he blatantly overlooked ground realities.

This time, however, Erza had nothing to complaint about. The confidence (or in Natsu's case, overconfidence) was necessary to keep some potential problems at bay.

She cleared her throat, breaking the infectious eye contact and said, in what she thought was a very commanding tone, "This is my house, sir, and I would prefer you to be a little _gentle, _if you may."

Gray Fullbuster raised a brow and looked at the woman with incredulity. She didn't seem overly confident while placing the demand, but something in her voice made it sound pretty authoritative. He couldn't believe this was the same woman who had begged for an apology at _Alimento._

Erza was surprised as well. While she knew that she'd to say something to nip the problem in the bud, she'd never expected it to come out like that. Was it the confidence that she'd gathered in the presence of Mr Fernandez that made her a bit more assertive? Or, was it the knowledge that her friend had done a noble thing, and that he deserved praises over accusations and curses that compelled her to say that? Maybe both. Maybe none.

"Excuse me?" said Gray, his voice a pitch higher than normal. "Do you have any explanation for your _uncanny_ _relationship_ with the problems in our life? I mean, what happened today evening was definitely _unfortunate_. But, how do you explain _this _to me?"

Natsu opened his mouth to give a strong response, but Erza cut him off with a flick of her hand. She could not afford to have a show down here in the presence of her neighbours and society people.

"Pure coincidence is what explains _this _situation, sir," she said, trying to maintain the eye contact with Mr Fernandez's friend. It was hard for her to believe that the embarrassing phone call had been made just a few minutes ago.

"Miss Lucy Heartfilia was found by my friend," she pointed a finger at Natsu, "-on the streets of East Magnolia in a very precarious condition. Since my friend finds it a virtue and necessity to help people in need, he decided to bring her home till the time he could contact her family or friends. There does not seem to be any kind of scheme behind this sir, now, does it?"

Erza was sure her words had hit home. The black haired man did not even attempt to give a response. He seemed absolutely dumb-struck. After all, certain messages that could not be conveyed through kicks and punches could be delivered well through words that left no scope for retorts.

Jellal Fernandez, who had been a silent spectator so far, decided to jump into the conversation when the topic of his sister's safety appeared on the horizon again.

"Where is my sister, ma'am?" he asked politely, looking at the scarlet haired woman. She turned to look back at him, a slight speck of red tainting her cheeks.

"This way sir," she said, allowing him and his extremely reluctant friend to step in and follow her through the drawing room towards her bedroom. All the while, Natsu tried to keep his breath even by chanting some weird mantra under his breath, determined to not create a scene again in front of _The Man._

The bedroom door was pushed open and four figures stepped in in absolute silence. Even Gray had decided to ignore the pink haired oddity for the moment as he peeked over his friend's shoulder to have a good look at Lucy. In front of her and his friend, the slight discomfort at being so close to the nuisance was nothing but a little inconvenience.

Jellal moved silently towards the young lady on the bed, his heart beat steadying as he approached her. When he was finally next to his sister, he bent over and placed a quivering hand on her forehead to stroke her hair. The sudden hotness that greeted him at contact alarmed him a little.

"She seems to have a fever," he said to no one in particular, but Erza Scarlet moved forward and gave him the required assurance.

"You don't need to worry about that, sir. We checked her temperature. It's high but we have given her the medicine. She should be fine in a while."

Jellal nodded and went back to looking at his sister. He noticed the fresh bandages, and the smell of some recently applied ointment was unmistakable. He let out a sharp breath and held her tiny hands in his own warm ones.

Silence fell. It seemed to stretch on for hours as the inhabitants of the room immersed themselves into their own little worlds. Jellal stroked his sister's hand, his eyes, dreamy and distant. Gray scrutinized the room with a disinterested look, making it a point to avoid eye contact with the nuisance that stood just a few metres to his left. Never in his life had he felt so uncomfortable in a new place. As it is, it was awkward for him to have been asked to _behave himself _in a place where he ought to have settled old scores. He looked sideways at the red head, wondering if it was the same woman from Carlton. He carefully noticed how her eyes were set on his friend, mild admiration and curiosity seeping from them.

The subject of Gray's observation, on the other hand, was doing exactly as aforementioned. She admired the equation between Mr. Fernandez and his sister. The tenderness that was exhibited in the act of holding hands affected her in a strange manner, making her feel light and unburdened. She remembered reading an article, many years ago, on the life of Jellal Fernandez which had sensationally covered the several _issues _that he seemed to have had with his younger half-sister_._ However, looking at how the very same man sat before her, caressing his injured sister, Erza was forced to question that scandalous article.

After about fifteen minutes of absolute silence, Jellal shifted slightly on the bed and turned around to look at Erza, who started with the sudden eye contact.

"Is it OK for me to ask for a favour?" he asked calmly, the bruised hand of Ms. Fernandez, still held in his hand.

Erza was taken aback by the sudden request but regained her composure and said, "Sure sir."

"Is it OK if I let my sister rest here for a while? Possibly till the time the fever goes down?"

Natsu twitched. Keeping the sister here was an undisputed equivalent of the constant company of his idol. He was so excited about the prospect that he did not even think about the annoying friend who would also be present by default.

"No problem sir. In fact, it is not wise to carry her back at the moment. Let the temperature normalize a bit. We don't have any problem," said Erza.

"Thank you…thank you indeed, Ms.?"

"Erza. Erza Scarlet."

"Thank you, Ms Erza. You and your friend have saved _two _lives today."

Erza blushed slightly. Thankfully, the dim light in the room prevented all from witnessing this phenomenon. There was something about the way the business tycoon carried himself that impressed her deeply- to the point where she was sure her admiration was clearly visible on her face.

Natsu suddenly moved closer to his friend and brought his lips to her ears.

"_Tea? Coffee?" _he whispered, and the latter nodded immediately. As the two had their silent conversation, Gray Fullbuster looked up at them warily, his brows pulled together in a frown.

"Uhm sir…would you like to have some tea or coffee?" asked Erza, talking particularly to Jellal.

The said man raised his head slowly and looked at his friend. Gray shook his head slightly.

"Thank you for the consideration Ms Erza, but we will do away with it. As it is, we seemed to have caused you so much inconvenience."

"Not at all Mr Fernandez!" Erza said truthfully. "We haven't been inconvenienced. As I said, my friend here could not leave Ms Lucy on the streets so he got her home. There is nothing bothersome about it."

Jellal looked at Natsu and smiled.

"What is your name, sir?" he asked.

Natsu gulped and shivered. Not only had he been directly addressed by _The Jellal Fernandez, _he was also called _sir _by him. This was, perhaps, the happiest day of his existence.

Erza elbowed her friend in the gut when he refused to answer the question for at least two minutes.

"Wha- _oh_! Ahem…my name is Natsu. Natsu D-Dragneel," he blurted, flushed.

Jellal got up and extended a hand towards Natsu. The latter looked at it incredulously for a minute, before timidly extending his own.

"Thank you for saving my sister, Mr Natsu. What you did today has earned you blessings for your life ahead."

Erza grinned as she noticed how _pink _Natsu had become as Mr Fernandez shook his hand ardently. She was never going to let him live this down.

"Ahem," interrupted Gray, utterly annoyed, irked apparently by the fact that his friend was fraternising with the man who had poured boiling soup down his front a few hours ago.

"For how long do you intend to stay here Jellal?" he asked, his voice rough and hard-hitting.

"Well, as I said, we should wait for the fever to go down."

"She can rest peacefully at your place as well."

"I think Mr. Fernandez is right," Natsu barged in unthinkingly. The dickhead had just tried to stomp on his chance to stay close to his icon for a while. He could not let him succeed with his plan.

"Ms Fernandez seems very comfortable at the moment, and as my friend here said, we don't have any problem in letting her stay here for a while." He declared with a certain amount of finality in his tone.

Gray's nostrils flared.

"And why would _you _have a problem with this Mr. Dragneel?" he spat. "You get the chance to rub shoulders with a famous man without a fee. I daresay, this _intense_ _humanistic_ _drive_ that you had while bringing Lucy to your home must be coloured with certain understandable _intentions."_

"What did you just say _you_-"

"Gray stop!" Jellal cut in, whipping around to look furiously at his friend. "This man just saved my sister's life! Is this how we thank him for it?"

Gray did not say a thing in return. He huffed indignantly and stormed out of the room.

"I'm sorry about this," Jellal continued, turning to look at Natsu. "He didn't mean that. My friend is slightly…well, _awkward _around people he just meets. Plus, the incident this evening is fresh in his memory and he finds it hard to forgive people for mistakes that are hardly big enough to register. That's how he has always been. I apologize on his behalf."

"T-that's ok," said Natsu, clearly embarrassed. "You don't have to apologise."

A discomfited silence fell again. The room was practically devoid of any sound except for the steady breathing of the young blonde on the bed.

When Erza couldn't take it anymore, she touched the same topic again.

"I insist," she began, for lack of better words. "That you have some tea or coffee, sir. I think it might just ease the tension a bit," she pointed towards the door through which Gray had just walked out in dismay.

Jellal turned to look at where Erza was pointing and sighed.

"Alright Ms. Scarlet," he gave in. 'Now that you have asked me twice with so much politeness, I can't possibly decline. I'll have some tea. So will my friend."

Erza did not waste a second to rush out of the room, lest she melted away in front of the billionaire who was now sitting in her bedroom.

* * *

As Erza hurried out of the room and proceeded towards the kitchen, she noticed the main door open. She tiptoed towards the entrance and peeped out. Gray was pacing the corridor outside, muttering something incoherent to himself.

She shook her head and went back to making the tea. She had set the water to boil on the stove when Natsu came bursting into the kitchen, out of breath.

"Why did you leave me alone in the room?" he asked, his cheeks the same colour as his hair.

"I thought you would want to be left alone," Erza said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Natsu opened his mouth but uttered no words. He went towards a cabinet to extract some teacups.

"Can you believe this Erza? he asked, as he rinsed the cups and dried them. "That _Jellal Fernandez _is at _your_ place at the moment, sitting in _your _bed room? I mean, well…he just said thank you to _me_!"

Erza giggled as she poured some tea leaves into the boiling water.

"This is more like a dream, yeah," she admitted, her voice lowered to a whisper. "But there is one thing that really impressed me about him. I mean…he doesn't have _that aura, _you know…that air about him which usually makes you detest uptight celebrities. That snotty, snobbish air. He seems more like one of us. Soft spoken and well mannered."

Natsu nodded enthusiastically.

"I get what you mean," he said. "But that snotty, snobbish air seems to be the life and breath of his friend here." He gestured to the main door.

"I don't blame him for it, though," said Erza, truthfully. Natsu looked appalled at that revelation.

"Are you serious?"

"Yup, pretty much."

"But, but…you've seen what he's like! That goon! Did you forget what he just said to me in the bedroom? The little prick that he is?"

Erza nodded as she poured the tea into an ornate pot. "I know what you are getting at Natsu," she said. "But…well…how do I explain this to you? Look. What happened at Carlton today evening was definitely not his fault. Plus, anybody would be wary of strangers. I mean, you practically spilt hot soup over him. Plus, he's like this rich guy who probably believes that we commoners can do anything for money. I don't blame him and his thinking. He's probably just being protective of his friend and his family, that's it. He does have a sharp tongue, yeah, but that's ok. I'm pretty sure he behaves like an angel with his loved ones, considering he actually tagged along with Mr. Fernandez at this hour to search for Ms. Lucy."

Natsu snorted at that. He knew Erza was right, but somehow, he couldn't bring himself to forgive that man. Perhaps, he was naturally meant to dislike him? Like an in-built hate function that flared whenever he came anywhere near that man?

Somebody cleared their throat at the kitchen door behind, and the two friends were forced to abandon their talk as they turned around abruptly.

It was Gray Fullbuster.

Erza blushed slightly while Natsu grunted and looked away.

"Uhm…tea?" Erza asked, holding up the teapot, trying hard to look straight into the man's eyes. She was not going to give him the 'guilty as charged' look under any circumstances.

Gray Fullbuster's gaze was fixed on the red head, an unreadable expression smeared across his face. He nodded slightly as Erza raised the pot. Then, without a word, he left for the bedroom where Jellal Fernandez was seated.

"What was _that_?" asked Natsu, addled. "I thought he was against the idea of having even a single droplet of water here. He looked kinda…caned."

"I think we shouldn't complaint," said Erza, hurriedly arranging the cups, sugar cubes, milk and teapot on a tray. "And, he might have been. Speech wise," she winked at Natsu and carried the tray out of the kitchen.

* * *

Erza set the tray on a table in the drawing room and invited the visitors outside. Jellal seemed reluctant to leave his sister alone but conceded nevertheless. Gray arrived as well, unusually silent and impassive.

Erza bent over to make the tea when she was stopped by Jellal.

"That will be fine Ms. Scarlet," he said with a gentle smile. "We will do it on our own."

Saying this, he picked up a teacup and made his own tea. Gray followed suit.

All the while, Natsu Dragneel stood there like a love-struck teenager, admiring the way Jellal Fernandez dropped his sugar cube into the cup.

When his expression was becoming way too obvious, and when he seemed two seconds away from lunging at the man in an act of a crazed display of approbation, Erza stepped on his foot to bring him back on the ground.

"_Ow- oh!" _

"Please have a seat," Erza said then, pointing at the sofas surrounding the table.

The two guests obliged while the two hosts stood awkwardly in front of them.

"Ms Erza, I hope you're not thinking of this as some punishment," said Jellal, chuckling slightly.

"What-oh! No! Not at all!" Erza quickly took a seat on the opposite sofa and dragged Natsu along, who practically fell on his shins, being lost in deep admiration as he was.

For a few minutes, Jellal and Gray drank their tea in silence, the latter occasionally looking up at Erza and then setting his eyes on the table in front whenever she would whip around to look back at him.

"Won't you be having some tea?" asked Jellal, gesturing at the tray.

Erza shook her head.

"That's fine sir. You have it with content," she gave what she thought was her best smile.

The man nodded and looked at Natsu.

"I have a question to ask, Mr. Dragneel," he said then, and Natsu was startled by the suddenness of that acknowledgment.

"Y-yes?"

"Where exactly did you find my sister? And, did she say or do anything when you got her back?"

Natsu considered the question for a moment, trying simultaneously to construct a perfect sentence in his head.

"Well," he began. "I found her on the streets in East Magnolia, some distance away from the night clubs. There was nobody around and she seemed to be in a very bad condition. No, she didn't say or do anything because she'd fainted by the time I reached her."

Jellal nodded solemnly.

"So, this is your house?" he asked.

"N-no. This is my friend's house. Erza's house. She's like my best friend and I could not think of anybody else who could help me out with the situation, so I got her here."

Jellal smiled warmly.

"Best friends," he said, looking up at Gray who shifted uncomfortably on the sofa.

"Best friends are the best for a reason. They understand you more than you understand yourself."

The hosts nodded in sync.

And, for the umpteenth time since their little _rendezvous, _silence fell again, this time not as uncomfortable and uneasy as before.

The four individuals on the sofas were, yet again, lost deep into their thoughts. Erza twiddled her fingers, looking from Jellal to Gray and then back. She noticed their poise and manners as they held the cups loftily in their hands, taking tiny, soundless sips and then setting the cups back on the saucers very gently. Their eyes roved all over the place, taking in the new surroundings with mild interest.

"I'll be back in a second," said Natsu, jumping to his feet in a sudden movement and startling everybody in the room. He quickly dashed off to the study and came back minutes later, carrying a small note pad and a fancy looking pen that had been gifted to Erza by Levy. The red head looked at her friend, slightly baffled, as he staggered down the drawing room towards where Jellal Fernandez was seated.

He extended the note pad and the pen towards him, and said, in a very low whisper, "_autograph?"_

Erza face-palmed mentally.

_Doesn't have an ounce of self-control, that dunce, _she thought, as she noticed the astonished look on Jellal's face.

"_My _autograph?" Jellal asked then, taken aback.

Natsu nodded and grinned like a five year old.

"Well, sir, _I _should be the one asking for an autograph since you saved my sister's life," Jellal commented, causing the latter to colour.

"I-I insist sir," said Natsu, pushing the pad and pen further away from himself.

Jellal was hesitant, to say the least, and Erza felt like snatching the goddamn pen from Natsu's hand. But, before she could get to that, the blue haired man had picked up the said object and scribbled his signature across the empty sheet. Gray peeked over at the autograph and smirked. Natsu made it a point to ignore him completely.

"There you go Mr. Dragneel," said Jellal, handing back the note pad. Natsu stuffed it into his pocket and went back to sit next to Erza who gave him a very stern look.

"_Wait till he goes back home," _she conveyed through her eyes and Natsu gulped.

Jellal looked around nervously before his eyes came to rest on a probable photograph of Erza and Natsu as toddlers on the mantelpiece above the television. He smiled and pointed his finger at the frame.

"Is that-" he began, only to be interrupted by a loud crash that came from Erza's bedroom, followed by a prolonged and audible moan.

Erza was sure her heart had stopped beating for a second.

Jellal Fernandez and Gray Fullbuster dashed for the room that very instant, almost galloping down the drawing room as they tore into the direction of the sound. Erza and Natsu were hot on their heels, wishing silently against any wrong happening.

Erza's bedroom door was almost brought down as the four burst in, shocked to see what lay before their eyes.

Lucy Heartfilia Fernandez had woken up and was staggering over the pieces of what had once been the bedside lamp. She looked around wildly, trying to take in the unfamiliar surroundings. She reached for a glass of water lying on the side table and was about to fling it across the room, when she noticed the newcomers at the door.

"What-is-the-meaning-of- _this?" _she spat, her steps wavering so much that she was in the danger of falling over the sharp, broken pieces on the floor. From the look on her face and the way she grabbed her head with her free hand, it seemed like she was having a severe headache.

"Everything's fine Lucy," Jellal said, cautiously approaching his distressed sister.

"We're here to take you back home."

Lucy's eyebrows twitched and she laughed like a maniac, her shrill voice reverberating through the room.

"Home? HOME YOU SAY?" she screeched, still swaying dangerously, unable to pitch her shaking feet firmly on the ground.

"That is NOT _your_ fuckin' HOME!"

She finally got the chance to throw the glass of water forcefully on the floor.

Erza winced as a loud, deafening crash echoed in the room. Natsu had backed a few steps in alarm.

"Lucy, listen to me," said Jellal, his heart aching terribly. "We can talk about this later…you need to rest…you are not feeling well at the moment."

"Oh I'm feeling perfectly well Mr. Fernandez, I don't need your false consideration so you can do away with that pathetic act of yours," she reached for the bed sheet next and ripped it off the bed.

Erza couldn't believe what was happening before her eyes. The woman, who had seemed perfectly peaceful and angelic in her sleep, had suddenly turned into this devil that was tearing her room apart. Were these the _issues _that the magazine had talked about, or was it just Ms. Fernandez having a bad hangover? Erza couldn't tell immediately.

But then, no one can spit so much venom when drunk.

Jellal removed his coat and threw it aside. Next, he folded his shirt sleeves as he got ready to tackle his outraged sister. Gray had taken a protective stance as well.

"Alright fine," said the former, raising his hands in surrender. "You can say whatever you want to say to me, Lucy, but do come with me. You can pour your heart out all you like but not here. This is not the place. You _need _to come with me," he tenderly extended his hand towards her.

Lucy looked at the hand with an expression that was somewhere between incredulity and disdain, and smirked.

"As if I would do that," she said. "I don't need _your _support to go back to _my _home, got that Fernandez?"

Natsu grabbed Erza's elbow from behind and pressed it tightly. She turned around to look at him and he reflected her expression; they were both flabbergasted.

Jellal sighed and looked at Gray. The latter nodded and suddenly pounced at Lucy, giving her no time to react.

"What?" was all she could manage to say, before he punched her hard in the stomach and she collapsed in his arms, hissing as she stumbled forward.

"There you go," he said, staggering with the sudden weight that fell on him.

Jellal moved forward and picked his sister up. His expression was unreadable in the dim light of the room.

"Thanks, Gray," he managed to say in a grim whisper. He then turned to look at the terrified hosts.

"I'm extremely sorry about this Ms. Scarlet and Mr. Dragneel. I'm truly, very sorry," his voice broke and he dashed out of the room, carrying the limp form of his sister in his hands.

Gray Fullbuster let out a forceful breath and looked at the dumbstruck individuals in the room. His situation was no less morbid than his friend's. Suddenly, a few lines seemed to have appeared prominently around his dark eyes.

"Not a word of this to anyone else," he muttered flatly. He looked at the two for almost a minute before adding, "I beg of you, forget about this," he did not pause for an answer. He walked out of the room very swiftly, leaving behind an eerie silence that pricked Erza and Natsu like a horde of tiny thorns.

* * *

After about an hour of that incident, Erza and Natsu stood out in the balcony, taking in some fresh air in an attempt to make that little encounter a thing of the distant past. They both had a cup of steaming coffee in their hands and it was four a.m. in the morning.

"I'd no idea she was like a…like a _wild cat,"_ Natsu whispered, staring into the distance ahead. "Lucy Heartfilia Fernandez is like _that?"_

Something seemed misplaced in his voice; like a part of it had been gauged out, giving it a very distant, unrealistic touch. It seemed out of place on his body and personality.

Erza did not reply. She took a sip from her cup and looked up at the sky. The lonely green eyes were looking back at her again through the shroud of darkness.

_Why did Lucy Fernandez behave like that with her brother? Why did she seem to hate him so much, a man as good and sorted as Jellal Fernandez? Why was she distinguishing between what's hers and what's his when they are siblings? Does it have anything to do with the fact that they are, at the end of the day, half siblings? But then, Mr Fernandez did not show that kind of hatred towards his sister…why did she behave like that?_

Questions such as these troubled Erza deeply. She considered many possibilities; from it being a small tiff (if she could call it small) between the siblings to the lady acting like that because of a hangover, but nothing seemed to make sense at all.

There was more to what she had witnessed today and it was definitely something terrible and heart-wrenching.

"Erza? ERZA!" Natsu shook his friend slightly. The red head almost dropped her coffee mug in surprise.

"W-what?"

"Don't space out on me."

"You're the one to talk," she commented back, taking another sip from the mug.

Natsu turned away and blushed.

"'Tis way too much for my poor, delicate brain to handle."

"I don't wish to admit it but…you're quite right."

They looked at each other and sighed.

"Oh, by the way, don't you have some special event at school tomorrow?" asked Natsu, his ragged attempt at changing the topic of conversation.

Erza's eyes widened in realization.

"_Holy…_you're right! It's the Parent-teacher meeting!" she finished the rest of her coffee in a single sip.

"I'll go to sleep now. Thinking too much about today won't be of any help at school tomorrow."

Natsu chuckled.

"Yup, I have a day off and I still don't think it'll do any good to me either," he accepted the coffee mug from Erza and set off for the kitchen.

"So, it's your couch again," he teased, as he exited the balcony.

Erza rubbed her eyes and untied her ponytail.

"It's the couch almost every day Natsu!" she called back. "When do you ever sleep in your own goddamn apartment?"

As Erza Scarlet changed into her night clothes and put her room back in order (which was inevitably a big, bright reminder of what had occurred just an hour ago), she assumed she would be able to distance herself from any irksome questions and thoughts. However, it did not take her long to realize that some things leave such an indelible impact in your mind and heart, that no matter what you say or do, they latch onto you stubbornly and refuse to leave your conscious.

An accurate example of this presented itself to her when she was cleaning up the room. She had just been picking up the shards of the bedside lamp when she noticed something grey and crumpled lying on the floor. She went over to observe the object and turned pale when she realised what it was.

Jellal Fernandez's grey, single-breasted jacket.

"Why? Just _why?" _she moaned.

* * *

**A/N:Jellal! Please marry me! *sigh*...why do all hot guys have to be anime characters?! Especially the ones that I love so much! In any case, Jellal is Erza's life and vice versa so I don't have a chance...what a tragedy :'(**

**A biiiiggg thanks to Thirteen Hadley, Didi, penguin trainer, Guest, YellowFan98, Burned Down, LuckyLifeSmile, Erza Scarlet Titania, 1fairytaillover, babylovee, OpenOtaku, nekoikoi and Kushina-animay for the reviews, favs and for putting Second Chances on their story alerts!**

**Don't forget to type your thoughts on the story, the characters etc. Basically anything that interests you or bothers you. You will be blessed with sexy dreams about your OTP at night! ;) Come on! That's attractive enough! :P**


	8. The Matchmaker

**Sorry for the delay guys! I was not well and I have two assignments coming up this week! Somebody help meeee!**

**Me no own Fairy Tail. PERIOD.**

* * *

**-CHAPTER EIGHT-**

**The Matchmaker  
**

* * *

Erza Scarlet slept badly. Every five minutes or so, she shifted on the bed, her eyes shut tightly in anticipation of that single wave of lethargy that would put her to sleep. But, it evaded her completely.

Many a times, she sat up all of a sudden, blinking rapidly and looking at the dark silhouettes of her furniture in the room. Her eyes would always fall on the cupboard which lay on her right and within which nestled the goddamn jacket.

She shivered as she remembered holding it for the first time, surprised to find that it didn't belong to some insanely expensive brand that she had expected it to belong to. It was a simple piece of cloth, a representation of the simplicity of its owner. She had held it and looked at it for almost fifteen minutes, marvelling at it for no particular reason. One of the pockets had been bulging, so she fished into it to see what it was. It was Mr. Fernandez's wallet. Only Erza knew how she had resisted the urge to open it and see what was inside. Of course, lot's of credit cards and important identity cards she had assumed, pushing it back into the pocket. When she had realized that she had literally been staring at a piece of fabric for longer than was required, she had quickly dashed towards her cupboard to stash it inside.

She had almost made it to the hangers when something shiny had fallen from the other pocket in the jacket. She had been astonished to see what that was.

It was an exquisite diamond necklace with a breath-taking pendant.

She had picked it up gingerly, fearing the fragile piece to break under the sudden pressure. Never in her life had she seen something as pretty as that; it was a simple, round pendant, hung on a very thin diamond chain. The pendant was round and etched with delicate, intertwining lines that looked like grape vines in the dim light of the room. Something seemed to have been written upon the platinum base and on a closer inspection, Erza had realized that the scribble was actually the name of a woman.

_Layla H._

Erza had tried to remember where she had heard that name before, but her memory had failed her. Sighing, she had gingerly put the pendant into her jewellery box and made a mental note to call up Fernandez Group of Industries the first thing in the morning.

Now, as she lay on her bed, reflecting upon the events of the day, she tried to pass everything off as a dream. Technically, those _bizarre _things could not have happened to her.

No, that was not even a remote possibility.

She was definitely in her dream world, _imagining _everything, not living it. There came a point when Erza was almost convinced that she was right, but then her alarm clock rang all of a sudden, its shrill cry piercing her ears.

She looked up, optimism seeping out of her eyes, expecting the phony world around her to just shatter.

And, it didn't.

Everything remained the same; her room, her bed and the jacket in the cupboard.

Nothing changed.

Taking a deep breath, Erza Scarlet got off the bed and slid her feet into her slippers. She had to get a grip on herself or she would never be able to recover.

The morning routine was practically skimmed through, and Erza took only thirty seconds to decide what clothes she would wear for the Parent-Teacher Meeting (considering how particular she was when it came to dressing up for such important occasions at school). When the choice was finally made, she slipped into her dress in a hurried manner and went off to prepare the breakfast. Natsu was wide awake on the couch.

"Morning," he drawled, scratching his head, his legs dangling off the arms of the couch.

"Feel so sick. Couldn't sleep last night."

Erza nodded in understanding.

"Nor could I."

"Isn't it weird? I mean everything that happened? It still feels like I'm walking in a dream."

"I know…_very weird."_

Erza looked for something of significance in the refrigerator.

"Oh by the way," she said all of a sudden. "I forgot to tell you something. Mr Fernandez left his jacket here last night. I have kept it in my cupboard for the moment."

Natsu sat up instantly at that.

"_Really_?"

"Yup."

"Wow…Can I just have a look at it?"

"Of course you can but make sure you don't spoil it or anything. Have to return it to him today…oh in fact, you said it was your day off today right? Why don't you return it to him?"

Natsu's eyes sparkled at that possibility. However, a second later, his face had fallen.

"Shit," he hissed, pointing at his phone which was lying on the table.

"I got an email from my manager, two hours back. He wants me to be at the Heart Kreuz office by ten. I have to discuss some important terms and conditions with them."

Erza cursed under her breath.

"When do you get free?"

"I don't know. It may take a lot of time. Have some other business as well."

"Which means I'll have to return it myself," Erza tried to sound very casual about the whole affair, but her effort did not pay off.

"I guess," shrugged Natsu, clearly disappointed. "We cannot keep it with us forever."

He dragged his feet towards Erza's room to have a look at the jacket.

"_Why did it have to come to this?"_

The breakfast was a silent affair. Neither of them spoke as they chugged some juice and nibbled on a sandwich. The house seemed very ghostly, owing to the silence, and the friends did not even make the effort to lighten up their moods. Although, Natsu seemed a little more peppier than Erza (considering how his dream had been fulfilled last night and how he had managed to take in the scent of Mr. Fernandez's jacket), something in his eyes seemed to speak of an opposite emotion.

The _drama _that had occurred last night had taken its toll.

When the breakfast was done, both friends said their goodbyes and Erza proceeded towards her bedroom to take the jacket. That's when she realized something basic and important.

H_ow can I carry it to school? My colleagues will ask all sorts of questions, _she sighed and retraced her steps out of the room.

_Will come back for this in the afternoon, _she grabbed the keys, shut the main door and dashed off to look for a taxi in the street below.

The school had become a blazing inferno by eleven. Anxious parents, ruffled teachers and restless students dominated the scene, and activities of all sorts were being conducted at different spots. Erza was currently in the debating club, watching over an extempore competition for the fifth graders. Just an hour ago, she had been interacting with the parents of the children in her class. When the competition got over, Erza quickly stepped into the empty staff room and extracted her mobile phone from her handbag.

She was yet to make a phone call to the Fernandez Group of Industries to inform Mr. Fernandez about the jacket.

She had almost dialled the number when she decided to clear the digits from the screen.

_What do I tell these people_? she thought. _That Mr. Fernandez left his jacket at my place? What would they say? How did it get there in the first place? _She sighed and looked out of the window at the clear blue sky.

_Why do you keep doing this to me? Is my misery a source of entertainment for you?_

She started pacing the room, thinking about ways to reach Mr. Fernandez without having to deal with his employees in the process. She thought about calling up Natsu for help but put that option aside. She could not disturb him in the middle of his important meeting.

_What do I do?  
_

Suddenly, as if a picture had just been transmitted to her mind's eye, she visualized the gray jacket in her cupboard and the wallet that she had taken out of it last night.

_Ah yes! He might have some important numbers in there, _she assumed, her irises gleaming with hope.

_There is no harm in checking it, now that I have a good reason for it, _she rationalized before attempting an act that she considered a blatant violation of someone's right to privacy.

_You have no choice Erza. You _have _to do it._

* * *

At three in the afternoon, the program finally got over. Erza Scarlet heaved a sigh of relief as she quickly cleaned her locker and arranged her stuff in her handbag. After saying a quick goodbye to her colleagues, she dashed out of the school premises and almost dived into an approaching taxi.

"Rosewood apartments," she said to the driver and the car zoomed away.

As they glided down a clear road, Erza's mind buzzed with muddled thoughts.

_Surely Mr. Fernandez must have noticed the absence of his jacket by now, _she mused, looking out of the window.

_He did not attempt to contact me. But, how will he even have my number? Wait, he is rich, influential person. If I can get his land-line, can't he get my mobile number? Plus they kinda tracked me down yesterday._

She scratched her head at that. There was something seriously wrong.

_What if it hasn't really crossed his mind yet? What if he is too engrossed in his work or his deeply troubled by whatever happened last night, _she gulped as she thought about Lucy Heartfilia Fernandez in _that _condition.

_Most probably yes._

An event like _that _could make any sane person forget about something as trivial as a piece of cloth.

* * *

Jellal Fernandez was broken, to say the least.

His heart ached terribly.

However, he could not paint his expressions with those sombre colours to deliver this inner turmoil to the world.

Therefore, he maintained a stoic posture, swallowing his tears and keeping up appearances with that fake and vacant smile that he was adept at forging.

Last night, they had managed to get Lucy back home. She had not been in the best of conditions. The doctor had prescribed complete bed rest for her, and Jellal had almost tripled the security around the mansion. The entire night, he had circled her bed like a hawk, worried that she might just jump out of it any second, break a few more pieces of glass and dash out of the house, severing even the little allegiances that she had to him. Gray had been with him in the room, but after a certain point, he had fallen asleep on the couch, making Jellal feel utterly alone.

He could not blame his friend though. He had been what a true friend is supposed to be; a companion through the thick and thin in life. His presence itself was an assurance that Jellal was never truly alone, even if the latter looked at his life as an insignificant necessity that needed to be indulged in for a particular person's gain.

Yes, Jellal Fernandez looked at his life as a mindless vehicle that was being driven for the sole purpose of giving happiness to his sister.

This is not to say that he never had a brighter idea about life. There was a time when he had almost forgiven himself for his crimes and learned how to live; not just for the sake of his sister, his dead mother and step mother, or a fuming raven haired friend who slapped him almost every time that he acted like a jerk. He had learnt how to live for that woman who had entered his life like a stream of light through the dark clouds and given him hope for a brighter, happier future.

In that moment when he had held her just once; under the velvet covers, in a place that he could call home, she had made him believe that even he could smile and _hope._ Those slender fingers that had entwined with his own, the sweet smelling hair, those warm lips that would occasionally press into his and then burst into a giggle, and the promise that had been uttered through them in the midst of passion; all these emotions had been deep enough for him to change completely.

However, the change never happened. The clouds gathered again. The promise that had seemed so real inside the tangled mass of silken sheets, had been utterly disregarded, and he was back to the point where he had always been.

That had probably been his punishment for even thinking about his own happiness for a moment.

Jellal shook his head abruptly and tried to clear his thoughts. He could not let these memories flood his mind now. No…not at a moment like this when he had to be concerned about nothing but his sister's condition. He took a deep breath, trying to erase the face of that woman from his head by grabbing Lucy's hand and reminding himself of the events that had led to this condition of hers.

"_Focus Jellal,"_ he said to himself, lightly pressing the limp hands. "_Focus. Remember the purpose in your life. It has always been the same despite those occurrences in the past. Don't let your mind drift away again. Remember the promise that you made to yourself and Lucy's mother many years back."_

The chocolate brown eyes of the said woman appeared before him.

"_I'm not going to forget my promise…I will never…"_

The next morning, Jellal had almost decided to cancel his important appointments but the immediacy of a very important meeting at six had thrown water on his plans. He had to attend this meeting. He had no choice, whatsoever.

"She'll be fine Jellal," encouraged Gray, as they both got ready together.

"This time, there will be no escape. Plus, she is on some strong medicine, so I doubt she'll attempt anything stupid in this condition. Let it be. Focus on the meeting and the work that you are supposed to do at office today. You have some files to clear, haven't you?"

Jellal nodded.

"Great. Get to it then. Lucy will be fine."

With that assurance, the friends left for work. Sebastian had been given new orders and this time, he seemed determined to not let anything wrong happen in the Fernandez mansion. Juvia had almost glued herself to a chair by Lucy's bed, and the remaining maids too were wary of the delicate situation.

As the friends got into their cars and sped towards their respective offices, Jellal did not even think about his jacket and wallet that now lay inside Erza Scarlet's cupboard. He was so engrossed in his own disturbed chain of thoughts that he did not even think about his step mother's pendant. The memory of him discarding the jacket never crossed his mind, not even as a nagging feeling that made him feel like he was forgetting something. He was embattled by enough problems to think about his misplaced belongings.

However, for a certain redhead, the above mentioned belongings were the only source of thought and apprehension.

* * *

Erza Scarlet sprinted down the hall and wrenched her cupboard open. Next, she dived into the pocket of the jacket and extracted the somewhat intimidating object, observing it from all sides and angles.

"Take a deep breath, Erza_," _she whispered to herself. "It's gonna be fine…you are doing this for someone's good. You have a noble intention…_"_

Very carefully, she threw the wallet open and stared at the inside for an entire minute.

It was full of cards of all sorts; from credit cards, to membership cards and some visiting cards. Apart from that, there was some cash in it as well and the picture of a woman Erza did not recognize at all. She tilted the wallet slightly to have a better look at the picture.

It was a very beautiful woman with blue hair and gentle green eyes, the same as Mr. Fernandez's. Almost a second later, Erza corrected herself mentally and deduced that it was Mr. Fernandez's eyes that were the same as hers.

_Mr._ _Fernandez's_ _mother_? she assumed, smiling gently at the picture. That magical, heart-warming smile on the lady's face had eased Erza's apprehension somewhat.

_He looks like his mother…_

She sighed as she ran her fingers over the picture.

_What the hell are you doing Erza! This is not the time to admire some picture! Get back to work, _screeched the logical corners of her mind, and she instantly got back to looking for some kind of clue or channel of contact in the wallet. She had decided to dial the landline number again if she did not find anything of significance.

_Let's see what we have in here._

After a minute of futile searching, she couldn't manage to find anything that could even remotely suit her purposes.

_Silly me, _she spat. _Why would he carry any of his contact numbers in his wallet?_

She had thought of that possibility before, but the fact that she simply wanted to give herself an assurance, even if it were a false one, made her take this necessary step despite its incredulity and irrationality.

_What do I do now? Should I really try the landline? I mean this would be an intrusion into their private affairs. As it is I am not supposed to have their number._

She took out her mobile phone and fiddled with the device in an attempt to arrive at a decision.

_It's OK Erza. Just this time. Plus, that diamond pendant seems very expensive. I need to return it to him. I might as well call on the landline._

She resolutely opened up the call register on her phone and looked for the number that she had dialled so nervously last night.

_Here goes nothing_,she whispered, as she pushed the green button and pressed the phone to her ear. The rings went for longer than usual before a female answered the call in a timid fashion.

"_Fernandez_ _mansion_. _How_ _may_ _I_ _help_ _you_?"

"Well...may I have a word with Mr. Fernandez?" Erza slapped herself mentally for that.

"_May I know who I am talking to at the moment? Please state your business with Mr Fernandez."_

Erza cudgelled her brains wildly to think of an appropriate response. However, before she could even open her mouth to give a reply, another voice joined in the conversation. It seemed to be the sweet voice of the woman from last night, talking to the lady on the phone from a distance.

"_Who is it Elina?"_

"_The person is yet to give a response ma'am."_

"_Give the phone to me."_

Erza was two seconds away from cursing into the receiver.

"_Hello? Who is this?"_

"Well hello ma'am...I called last night...to give information on Ms. Lucy_."_

"_Ah yes! Ms Erza Scarlet, Rosewood Apartments?" _said the woman in a very gentle tone.

Erza's eyes widened with that little acknowledgement.

"Yes_…"_

"_Oh well…is there some problem Ms. Erza?"_

"Yes…I mean no…well…Mr. Fernandez left his jacket here last night_..._that's all," she added in the end.

"_Oh! Well…thanks for informing Ms. Scarlet but… Jellal is not at home at the moment and there seems to be a shortage of drivers at the mansion. Will it be asking for too much if I request you to drop the jacket off at Jellal's office? I will ask my husband, Gray Fullbuster to take it from you down at the reception area so that you don't have to deal with the receptionist or anybody else for that matter."_

"That will be great ma'am_," _lied Erza. _Gray Fullbuster's wife? _she thought to herself in addition.

"_Thank you so much Ms. Erza for your help last night. My husband told me all about it. We owe you so much. Plus, you have to go through this trouble again today. We are sorry for the inconveniences that we have caused you so far."_

Erza could feel her cheeks getting hot all of a sudden. Unexpected appreciation can have that kind of an effect on people.

"That's OK ma'am. This is not really an inconvenience_," _she blurted.

"_Thank you once again Ms. Scarlet. Thank you."_

* * *

The jacket held tightly in her hands, Erza Scarlet said her prayers as the taxi halted before the massive building that was the main office of the Fernandez Group of Industries in the heart of Magnolia. She peeked out of the window and had a look at the massive structure of glass and steel, the elegant curve of the building in the direction of the sun, making the huge panels reflect the sunlight in a dazzling fashion.

_Amazing, _was the first word that came into Erza's mind. It wasn't like she was looking at this building for the first time. Of course, she had been to this part of Magnolia many times before. It was the fact that she now associated the building with the man she came in close contact with last night, that made her feel all the more amazed and awkward.

She quickly got out of the taxi and passed a few currency notes to the driver. Adjusting her handbag and the paper bag in which she had kept the jacket, she walked nervously towards the gigantic revolving door that led into the building.

_Take a deep breath and do this shit, _she whispered to herself as she now entered the premises, a burst of hushed, buzzing voices and the clank of numerous heels echoing in her ears. The building stretched as far as the eye could see, embedded with these massive pieces of furniture and decoration that could only be fit for giants. All around, people walked in crisp suits and ties, their stylish suitcases and handbags creating a kind of norm to uphold the elegance and integrity of the building. Sadly for Erza, the ambience made her ill at ease.

_Where on earth is Mr. Gray Fullbuster?_ she tried to act as normal as she could with the paper bag in her hand, but her fidgety mannerisms had started to attract quite a lot of attention.

"Heheheheh," Erza tried to force that fake smile onto her lips to greet everyone that turned around to look in her direction. _Focus on your own work people._

Finally, when she couldn't take it any longer, she went over to one of the guards standing near the elevators for the required inquiry.

"Excuse me. May I know where Mr. Fernandez's office would be?"

The burly male cast a dubious glance at Erza before answering the question.

"Top floor," he grunted and Erza gave that fake smile again.

_Great. I completely forgot. They might be having ID cards to enter the main office and I don't even have an appointment. All I can do now is wait, _she sighed and went over to some empty benches next to an indoor fountain. The cool spray of water, and the beautiful statues that sprout that water, provided a source of distraction for her for some time. However, the constant murmur and the sharp clank of heels brought her back on the ground ever so often. She waited for nearly fifteen minutes before she looked up at the elevators by chance and noticed a familiar face coming towards her.

Gray Fullbuster was dressed in a sleek suit as usual but had his hair swiped back. Everything apart from his facial expression seemed normal and in place; instead of the frown that he usually sported and the contemptuous glare that he had given Erza almost the entire night yesterday, there was a smile lighting up his face.

Wait, what?

A _smile_?

Erza Scarlet should've taken that as a bad omen there and then.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting Ms. Scarlet," he said in a tone that sounded like forced sweetness. It was as if he was making the effort to not sound rude.

"It's OK," said Erza, getting up abruptly and putting a strand of her hair awkwardly behind her ear. "Here. This is Mr. Fernandez's jacket," she pushed the paper bag forward.

"Why don't you give this to Jellal yourself? I mean, this way, you'll get to meet him and he'll be able to express his gratitude in a proper fashion. He's really sorry about last night and it was him who requested me to escort you to his cabin."

Erza had almost blurted "What?" but she bit her tongue and subdued the strong urge.

Meet him?

_Again?_

"Ms. Scarlet. Are you OK?"

_No I'm not OK! Can't you see? First you come in with that big smile which is so out of place on your face that you would give a laughing Ulquiorra a run for his money. Then, you ask me to take a proper thank you from Jellal Fernandez which means I will have to go up and meet him again after what happened last night. I'm NOT OK! _she screamed within, but all these emotions translated into a positive response and a big smile on her face which she assumed, made her look very clownish.

"Sure."

_Sure…my ass._

"Please follow me," said Gray and he led her to the elevators.

J_ust what's up with him? _Erza wondered, eyeing the man in front suspiciously. _How is he so nice to me today? _It would have been difficult for any sane person who had been on the receiving end of Mr. Fullbuster's sharp tongue and slighting glances, to accept the sudden change in his demeanour. It was as if he had turned into a completely different person overnight.

"Please," he said suddenly, as the doors of the elevators slid open, gesturing Erza to step inside.

"Thank you."

It was only when the door had closed and the elevator had moved a floor up, that Erza realized she was alone in the lift with the man.

_Talk about awkwardness, _she thought, shifting uncomfortably on her heels.

"Well," began Gray, turning to look at her nervously. "You must be wondering how I'm so nice to you all of a sudden, right?"

Erza fought back the urge to nod vigorously. Instead, she just provided a precursor for the response by muttering some famous stalling words like "Well…I…"

"I have to say Ms. Scarlet," chuckled Gray. "You're an amusing woman. You were like a totally different person at your apartment last night. You kinda shut me up, which is a very big achievement."

Erza blushed slightly.

"Well you see…I'm not used to being answered to. Was not brought up that way… We Fullbusters are really arrogant. We don't think of anybody beneath our position as being capable of answering back or even showing an ounce of protest. With your little speech in the kitchen, you made me realize that I had been acting like a slimy bastard since the incident at Carlton. Thank you for the eye opener."

Erza was sure the temperature in the elevator had shot up because she could feel herself melt.

"Ah well…"

"Are you like…single?" blurted Gray, regretting the outburst a second later. He had made it sound quite wrong.

Erza almost dropped the jacket in surprise.

"Wha-" she breathed, her eyes bulging out of their sockets. Blushes all left behind, she had the sudden urge to whack the man in front for his probable attempt at flirting.

Gray brought his hands in front of him and shook them vigorously.

"No no! I didn't mean it that way!" he said immediately. "Don't take it in the wrong direction. I'm a happily married man with three lovely kids and I love my wife to death. I just meant it like a general question," he said in one breath.

Erza looked at the man distrustfully but answered the question anyway.

"Yes," she said rather rudely.

Erza was sure she saw the man grin out of the corner of her eyes.

"Oh…"

The escalator climbed twenty two floors with just the two of them inside. On the twenty third floor, the gates opened to welcome a horde of employees, each one greeting Mr. Fullbuster with a deep bow.

"Good evening, good evening," said Gray, smiling at the newcomers. Erza shifted to the back of the escalator as more people came swarming in.

_This is good, _she thought. More the people, less the opportunity to have this awkward conversation with Mr. Fullbuster. They were still thirty floors away from their destination.

After about five minutes of mindless shifting on her heels and quick glances at the black haired man, Erza sighed in relief as they reached the top most floor.

"Here we are," said Gray, guiding the lady out of the escalator into a gigantic lobby that stretched endlessly on both sides. Colossal vases and pots had been placed on either side at regular intervals, enhancing the aesthetic beauty of the long corridor.

"This way," Gray said, walking towards a pair of massive glass doors that were being guarded by two hefty security guards. Beyond the door, Erza could see a typical office area with lots of cubicles.

The guard on the left immediately recognized Gray and bowed.

"Good evening sir," he said in his deep voice, procuring a white card from his pockets and placing it on a scanning device next to the door. There was a slight beep and the electronic doors separated in an instant, sliding away to open up their path.

"Thank you Marvin," said Gray and he led Erza through the entrance into a mass of well-constructed and designed cubicles.

"This is the main office to be exact," he explained, as they made their way down a broad aisle which wound through the numerous work stations.

"Fernandez Group of Industries owns the entire building, but this is the headquarters where you have the offices of the main execs and board members."

Erza nodded slightly to show her involvement.

"You work with Mr. Fernandez here?" she asked out of curiosity. It was true that Erza had heard of the wealthy Fullbuster family, but she could not remember what business they were into. After all, they could be partners with the Fernandez group.

"Not really," said Gray, as they turned left into a spacious corridor lined with spongy couches.

"I have my own business," he paused. "I own an advertising agency."

"Ah," said Erza, as she remembered reading an article on this big enterprise a few months back. This was the Fullbuster family business.

"This is my best friend's workplace so you'll find me here in my free time. That is why people believe that I actually work here."

"I see."

For the next two minutes, they walked in silence down the never ending corridor lined with massive cabins for the company's C-suite. They turned left for the final time and came face to face with a colossal glass door, the largest on the floor. A shiny brass nameplate on the door read; _**Jellal Fernandez, Chairman & CEO.**_

"Here we are," said Gray, straightening his collar and proceeding swiftly towards the door. The peon outside bowed on Gray's approach and opened the door for him.

"Please," said Gray, stepping aside for Erza to enter. She smiled at him and stepped in uneasily, a chill running down her spine.

They had entered a cosy looking waiting room that stood before the main cabin, separated by a thick glass wall that opened on the right side. A small work desk lay on the left, scattered with files of all colours. A young secretary with horn rimmed glasses and light brown hair sat at the desk, attending a phone call. When she noticed the newcomers at the door, she separated the receiver from her ear and stood up to greet Mr. Fullbuster.

"That's fine Evergreen. Is he still with the client?" he whispered, pointing at the almost opaque wall.

The woman named Evergreen shook her head and gestured for them to enter. Her eyes fell on Erza and she scrutinized her with a steely glare, making the latter feel naked.

_What's up with this female? _Erza thought, slightly annoyed. She followed Gray hurriedly into the other side of the divide.

"Look who's here buddy," exclaimed Gray, as they now entered the cabin. Erza emerged from behind the man and looked around curiously. It was a massive space with about ten feet tall windows covering more than half of the place in a splendid curve. These ample windows were responsible for the brilliantly lit atmosphere in the room.

In the dead centre lay an enormous mahogany work desk, well ordered and sleek. Jellal Fernandez had been in the middle of typing something into his MacBook when he responded to his friend's call. His eyes fell on Erza and his face lit up into a brilliant smile.

"Good evening Ms. Scarlet," he said, getting up and proceeding to give a handshake to the rapidly melting woman.

"Good evening," she responded, pushing the paper bag forward.

Jellal looked at the grey lump inside and sighed.

"Ah well… thank you for this Ms. Scarlet. It is unbelievable how I forgot all about my wallet," he accepted the bag and placed it gently on a low table lying to his right.

"There was a pendant in it as well Mr. Fernandez," said Erza, reaching for her handbag and extracting a wooden box in which she had kept the said ornament. She opened the lid and pushed the box towards Jellal, who looked at the diamond piece with guilt in his eyes.

"My gratitude won't be enough for this Ms. Scarlet. You have returned a very important object to me," he said, picking up the pendant and admiring it with his soft eyes.

Erza did not know what to say so she left it at that.

"Why don't you have something Ms. Scarlet? You came all the way to give me back my jacket. I'll not let you go until you've something to drink at least."

"Ah well…Mr. Fernandez," she began, thinking of the best way to decline the polite offer, but fate had some other plans.

"I'll take that as a yes," said Jellal, reaching for a small buzzer like device on his desk. A sharp tweak and the secretary with the horn rimmed glasses appeared at the opening in the glass wall.

"Yes sir?"

"Some…" he looked at Erza for a second as she made a quick decision in her head.

"Coffee," she said, her voice coming out in a whisper.

"Some coffee for the ma'am and cold coffee for the sir," he added, smiling at Gray who had now slumped into a chair at the desk.

"Thanks brother," he said, flashing the peace sign.

"Why don't you sit Ms. Erza?" Jellal gestured at the comfortable sofas that had been set on the right side of the spacious office.

"Wha- oh…yes."

Things were just not going according to plan.

After casting an awkward glance at the interiors of the room, Erza Scarlet smoothed the hem of her pencil skirt and perched herself on the sofa as elegantly as she could. To her utter dismay and embarrassment, Mr. Fernandez sat on the sofa adjacent to hers, caressing the pendant for almost a minute before burying it into his pocket. Erza kept the wooden box in which she had carried the ornament back in her handbag.

"About last night," began Jellal, his voice suddenly sombre. "I am terribly sorry. It was uncalled for and absolutely…" he searched for an appropriate word. "_atrocious_…"

"You don't need to apologise for anything, Mr. Fernandez. I completely understand," said Erza, almost jumbling the words with the speed in which she uttered them.

"Ms. Fernandez was not in a good condition yesterday. The medicines and fever had taken their toll and she was feeling a bit dizzy that's it."

"But still…" insisted Jellal. "You had to go through so much trouble yesterday and today. No one does so much for a stranger these days."

Erza couldn't help but chuckle. She had no idea what made her do that all of sudden in a situation that was anything but comical.

"But you're not a stranger Mr. Fernandez. I'm sure everybody on Earthland knows you pretty well."

Jellal mirrored the gentle chuckle.

"Well yes…" he said.

"But from my own experience, people tend to be intimidated by people who are well known. So much so that they tend to distance themselves from them. The attraction, the love is only superficial. They forget we are humans just like them, capable of feeling the pain when hurt," as he said this, something seemed to change in his expressions and the colour of his eyes diluted, indicating a sudden flash of an unpleasant memory from an equally unpleasant past.

Erza lifted her eyes and looked at the man intently. He was staring unblinkingly at the table in front, the smile that had seemed so placid just a second ago, becoming pretentious and melancholic.

Gray Fullbuster cleared his throat loudly.

"So Ms. Erza," he began, trying to ease the atmosphere which had become so tense all of sudden.

"I was wondering…How did you manage to get Jellal's landline number? Well, I'm not trying to reprimand you or something because it practically saved a life yesterday, but I'm just curious."

Erza gulped. She'd been hoping this topic would never come up after she had managed to evade it quite efficiently last night.

"Well…" she began, grinning a little sheepishly. There was no point lying.

"I've a friend who has quite a lot of... _resources. _Since I couldn't think of any other way to reach you, I asked her for some help."

"Ah!" said Gray, turning around in his chair. He looked amazed.

"That's a very interesting friend you've there," he smiled suddenly, as if he had remembered something funny and endearing.

"That reminds me of my school days. I too had a friend who came from a media background. I often pestered him for private numbers of my favourite actresses and models," he laughed, as he saw the expression on Erza's face.

"It's OK Ms. Erza. We often get calls from pranksters. Nothing serious. You had a genuine reason so you don't have to worry about anything. Plus, my friend here," he pointed at Jellal, "has an angelic heart. I'm telling you, many people at ESE thought he was god himself."

Jellal rolled his eyes at that. He had snapped out of his trance and was looking at Gray from the corner of his eyes. Erza had a distinct feeling that Mr. Fullbuster was trying to deliberately list out the positive qualities of his friend to her.

"Don't exaggerate Gray," said Jellal, looking at his friend with scepticism written in his eyes. "And _that_ is not true."

"Ha!" exclaimed Gray, clapping his hands once and giving his friend a 'wanna try me out bro' look.

"Wanna bet buddy?" he said confidently. "Shyla Eckelhart, Business Studies 2-A, wrote an article on you in the monthly newsletter saying you were an offspring of the almighty or something. Professor Higgs, mentioned you in one of his lectures! The man who never praises anybody, praised you! And then you had Andy McMillan from the Sports League 3-B who worshipped you behind your back! What about-"

"Ahem! Gray," Jellal intercepted, looking subtly at Erza. The black haired man stopped mid-way. Realising his mistake, he eased back on the chair and smiled sheepishly.

"Ah yes…I am sorry," he looked down at his hands.

Jellal shook his head and turned back on his seat.

"So how is Mr. Dragneel doing?" he asked. He said Natsu's name with an air of respect, acknowledging him as the saviour of his sister.

"He's fine. Doing really well in fact," said Erza. "He asked me to give you his greetings and regard."

"Tell him I'm happy that he is doing well. Also," he dug into his pocket and extracted a visiting card.

"If you or Mr. Dragneel needs any kind of help, feel free to contact me on this number. It will be an honour for me to help you and your friend in any way possible."

Erza looked incredulously at the card.

This was just not happening.

"Sure," she extended a shaky hand forward and gripped the card in her almost numb fingers. Despite the air conditioning in the room, she could feel tiny droplets of sweat trickling down her back.

"Sir, your order," The secretary had returned with a peon who carried a beautiful tray in his hand.

"Yes please," said Jellal, pointing at the table in front.

The peon nodded and set the tray on the said spot.

"That's it for now Evergreen. Give Mr. Neekis my confirmation for the meeting before you fix any other appointments for Monday."

"Sure sir. I'll do that right away."

"Ms. Scarlet, coffee."

Erza picked up the mug without any delay, letting the steam coming from it, mask her expressions.

"Ah! My daily dose of awesomeness," mumbled Gray, as he lumbered towards the table and picked up the cold coffee.

"God bless you for this my friend," he sat on the sofa opposite to Erza.

It was the same as last night. The only one missing from the frame was Natsu. Erza wondered just how she had come to be a part of a similar situation in less than twenty four hours.

After about five minutes of absolute silence, Jellal Fernandez checked his wrist-watch.

"I'm terribly sorry for this Ms. Scarlet," he began "but I'll have to leave for a meeting now. I would have stayed back and cancelled all of my appointments had they not been of such importance."

"I understand Mr. Fernandez," said Erza, the mug still held before her eyes.

"In any case," said Jellal. "I just wanted to ask if you came here by your own conveyance."

"I took a taxi," mumbled Erza, worried about the direction this question was headed towards.

"Oh! Then Gray can drop you back home. His house falls in the same route as yours."

"Actually," Gray interrupted in a voice that was unusually high-pitched. It seemed that he had been in deep thought before he came up with some ingenious plan.

"I've to go for some work after this. You have a meeting with Mr. Neekis right? His office falls in the same route as Ms. Erza's apartment I believe?"

Jellal drew a quick mental map and realized that his friend was right.

"Now that I think about it."

"So, you can drop Ms. Scarlet on your way to Mr. Neekis's main office. I hope you don't have any problem with that."

"Of course I don't," Jellal smiled. He was actually very delighted to help Ms. Scarlet, even if it was a very small way to repay her for her kindness.

Erza was sure she would lose her sanity any moment.

While the two friends had been deciding on who would drop her home, Erza had been screaming '_I'll go back on my own_! _I don't need help_!' inside her head. When it was finally decided that she would be dropped home by Jellal Fernandez, she got up abruptly and pretended to be in a hurry.

"You don't have to trouble yourself with this, sir," she said, almost pleading. "I'll take a taxi back home. You've a meeting to attend. You might just end up getting late because of me."

Jellal shook his head vigorously.

"You'll not trouble me with anything Ms. Scarlet. Plus, the meeting starts in another hour or so. It won't take me that much to reach Mr. Neekis's office. I can drop you back home," there was a kind of finality in his tone that Erza could not ignore or let down.

"O-Ok," she gave in, sighing.

She had managed to do it yet again.

* * *

Gray Fullbuster was a clever man and an over-enthusiastic friend. When it came to crafting schemes for the benefit of his best friend, he would get on with the job immediately and leave no stone unturned. Ever since Ms. Scarlet had entered the cabin, his mind had been on how to make sure that she and Jellal spent some more time with each other.

Yes, Gray Fullbuster had switched on his matchmaker mode.

It wasn't unusual for this gentleman to forge such brilliant schemes. He had been into this unofficial business for quite some time. His only goal as a part of this benevolent mission was to make sure that his sad friend, who had become a _borderline emo _now, learned how to appreciate the beauty of the opposite sex and gave himself a second chance with them. It was very difficult for Gray to tolerate the oh-my-life-is-so-fucked-up aura that Jellal seemed to radiate all the time, intentionally or unintentionally.

Therefore, as his best friend, he had taken it upon himself to bring his friend back from the realm of _emoism, _if he could coin that term for the purpose of his ambition, and give himself another to chance to enjoy the beauty of life (and the _beauties _in life).

And his current target for this ingenious mission was, as mentioned before, Erza Scarlet.

It was true that he had detested the woman back at Carlton. He had been mad at her for being that pink head's friend and had even cursed her to his heart's content. When he had gone to her place to receive Lucy last night, he had been appalled to see her opening the door and slapping an order on his face. Nobody had ever had the guts to answer him back.

And yet, as he had given her those suspicious looks all night, maintaining his distance and cursing her under his breath, he had not failed to notice that tiny spark of innocence that reflected in her eyes. Gray knew he was good at judging people's character at the first glance and his eyes had not been not deceiving him. There was a kind of purity in her actions and emotions that appealed to him and reminded him of his own friend. As if to confirm his supposition, he had overheard her giving a firm response to her friend in the kitchen; a little speech that melted his cold heart immediately and helped him narrow down on the next target for his mission.

He had been correct.

Erza Scarlet was the woman he had been looking for a long time now, and now that he had managed to find her, he had no intentions of letting her go. He could already see her as the ray of light that Jellal needed so desperately in his life.

_To hell with that stupid meeting, _he muttered to himself, as he took light sips from the cup in his hands.

_Getting them together is more important at the moment. Mr Neekis, your meeting can wait._

He remembered how his wife had told him about some road block at Oakfarm Street this morning because of the Magnolian Independence day rehearsal. This was one of the two ways that led to the Neekis office. The other one, The Wendly district road, was a shorter route and would always be taken by him or Jellal. Today, the roadblock had actually become a legitimate reason for anybody going in the same direction to not choose the wider and straighter road over the shorter yet windier route.

_Not for these two here, _thought Gray, smirking.

"Oh Jellal! I just remembered something," he said in a very innocent tone as his friend dusted down his jacket and picked up his MacBook and phone from the desk.

"I got a call from Juvia half an hour back. One of the roads in the route that you'll take today has been blocked."

"Really?" said Jellal, thankful that such an important piece of information had been shared with him.

"Yes."

"And which road would that be?"

Gray smiled triumphantly as he looked at the two oblivious individuals who stood before him.

"Wendley district road."

* * *

**(A/N): Gray you little! I knew you would end up doing something like this! =)) Also, the Bleach reference (Ulquiorra's supposed laugh) was kinda random but I couldn't think of anything else to put in that place so I just wrote it down. Plus, Ulquiorra does have a connection with Fairy Tail. Yup...For those who don't know about this connection, the Espada Cuatro shares his Seiyuu, Daisuke Namikawa with our dear Jelly... Ulquiorra and Jellal...hmmmmm...I really don't know what to say...at least it's way better than a similar connection between Sosuke Aizen and ICHIYA! ROFL! Imagine Aizen screaming 'MEEEEENNN' or 'MY Honneyy!' hahahahahaha!**

**Gray and Jellal's alma mater, ESE is supposed to be a very prestigious institution in my story. It stands for Era School of Economics and as the name suggests, this institution is situated in Era. **

**Next chap= Jerza magic! Wooohhhoooo! Not too fluffy I guess, but it still counts...  
**

**HOWEVER, as I mentioned earlier, I have two assignments coming up this week and a project to make for my Internals. THEREFORE, the next chapter will take some time.**

**A biiig biiiiiig biiiiiiiiiiig thanks to Kaileenholic, 1fairytaillover, Nobody2012, YellowFan 98, DarkXFeatheredCosmic, Helekiller2, babylovee, Erza Scarlet Titania, KagomeUchiha101, Despicblefellow, zatanga, penguin trainer, Assault type-PJ, GraLu, Resha Tsubaki, , MyLoveAndDevotion, IvoryQueen, Remepie, Bloodstained Black Cat, Burned Down and Mistress Persona for the reviews, likes and follows...You guys give me a reason to live. :***

**Until next time brothers and sisters! Keep reviewing like this! (And somebody needs to calm me down after chapter 297...that 'TO BE CONTINUED' haunts me in my dreams!)**


	9. An Inexplicable Feeling

**Hey guys! I'm back with chapter 9! woohoooo! Finally, I got the opportunity to update this. Trust me, I completed this chapter ages ago but my stupid computer crashed and I had to wait for it to get repaired. I was so desperate that I actually asked one of my friends to update it for me but the system starting working all of a sudden. So yeah, here's the chapter! :D**

**Fairy Tail, Y U NO belong to me?**

* * *

**CHAPTER NINE**

**An Inexplicable Feeling  
**

* * *

"Are you sure about this Gray? Wendley is the shorter route!"

"Yup. Absolutely positive. I'm afraid you'll have to take the longer one."

"I see…thanks."

Gray Fullbuster, ardent and zealous matchmaker for the benefit of his best friend, had just made his first move. Outside, he maintained the calm, innocent and saint like expression. Inside, he was bursting with ecstasy on his little achievement.

"If it's going to take you long then I'll go on my own Mr. Fernandez," insisted Erza, not at all wanting the gentleman to drop her home. She had had her share of _fraternizing _with the famous man. She didn't want more.

"Don't worry about it Ms. Scarlet. Just let me do my bit for you. It'll make me feel better and light."

Erza opened her mouth to present a counter, but no words came out. The sweetness in the man's voice was so undeniable and pure that she could not turn down his offer. She simply nodded her approval and followed him out of the cabin.

"I'll be leaving now Gray. Just check on Lucy once on your way back home for me," Jellal said, grabbing the paper bag that Erza had brought along and proceeding towards the door.

"Sure sure!" chirped Gray, still taking sips from the cup of cold coffee in his hands. "Best of luck for the meeting!" he added with a mischievous smirk on his lips.

If only Erza had a better idea about the mechanisms of Gray Fullbuster's clever, matchmaking mind, she would have done anything in the world to avoid traveling in Mr. Fernandez's car. Alas, Erza was utterly clueless, and as she described herself, an unwilling puppet in the hands of a very powerful destiny.

* * *

The shining Bentley stood ready for its owner, its sleek exterior glinting in the evening light. The driver in white and blue bowed and opened a door as his employer came into sight, beckoning forward, a redhead.

"Please Ms. Scarlet," said Jellal, gesturing for Erza to enter. The latter hesitated for a second, not at all comfortable with the situation, but gave in and slipped into the car.

The driver shut the door gently and made a dash for the other side. Next second, Jellal Fernandez had taken a seat next to Erza.

"Thank you Gordon," said Jellal, smiling warmly at the driver who bowed again and took his seat in the front.

"We will be going to the Neekis office via Oakfarm road. Before that, we need to drop Ms. Scarlet off at Rosewood Apartments on Cedar Drive,"

The driver nodded and the car set off, a throng of employees drifting to the sides as the car tore through the driveway and into the busy streets of Central Magnolia. The evening light reflected off of the colossal glass panels of the buildings around, creating an enticing sheen that dazzled Erza. The area where she lived was more of a decent settlement where such grand structures were hardly found. Even her hometown had very little to offer in terms of such blaring symbols of city life. Coming to this part of Magnolia was infrequent yet a memorable experience for Erza, who would often get to see the bustling life of a metropolitan.

Jellal cleared his throat and Erza was forced to tear her gaze from a designer store that occupied almost half of the street, a few metres ahead.

"Did you say something, sir?" she inquired and Jellal whipped around to look at her. Even he had been observing the street outside.

"What? Uh…no," he said rather awkwardly, straightening the lapels of his jacket.

"O-Ok," Erza turned back to look outside the window.

This was more than awkward.

This was a discomfited and tongue-tying situation that could soon amount to a nervous breakdown for the two.

Almost fifteen minutes passed without any attempt at conversation from either side. Both parties looked in the opposite directions, fidgeting with their articles of clothing or mindlessly ruffling their properly done hair. Neither spoke in fear of immediate embarrassment. It seemed as if the two had almost succumbed to a state where they could only senselessly twiddle their fingers.

The uneasiness intensified at a red light which seemed to stretch on for hours. Without anything moving or alluring to look at outside the window, the two gazed at the steel interiors of the car, hoping to either come up with something interesting to talk about, or avoiding any attempts at conversation at all.

It was when Erza noticed a pretty blonde sitting in a car next to theirs, that she thought about an ingenious way to break the ice.

"So," she began, trying to form a proper sentence in her mind. "How is Ms. Lucy doing?"

Jellal was taken aback by the suddenness of that question, but he answered nonetheless.

"She's doing well. The doctor says her wounds will heal soon enough."

Erza smiled nervously.

"That is good to hear," she turned to look out of the window.

After a minute of absolute silence, the two spoke up again, this time, simultaneously.

**"**_**So-"**_

_**"I-"**_

**"**_**You-"**_

They looked at each other with round eyes and let out a chuckle. For the first time, Erza felt comfortable in the presence of a man she had been so nervous around. The lighthearted giggle that escaped her lips seemed to have soothed her nerves and drained all of her anxiety and awkwardness.

"I'll let you ask first,' said Jellal, running a finger through his hair.

Erza shook her head. "It seems you had something very important to say Mr. Fernandez," she said.

"Ah well... not really…" Jellal shrugged.

"I just wanted to-"

There was a loud beep and Erza jumped in surprise. Jellal's hands clasped his breast pocket and he extracted a vibrating mobile phone, looking apologetically at the lady.

"e-mail," he said and Erza smiled.

He took a minute and a half to surf through the mail and made an important call. A five minute discussion on some file ensued and ended up with a little task being set up for the employee on the other end.

"So where were we?" Jellal said, slipping the phone back into his pocket. "Ah yes! We had something to ask each other."

He hesitated for a second, loosening his tie and ruffling his hair. An air of uneasiness had begun to settle once again.

"Well…my question is a bit… _general_," he began. "You know…job, profession…uhm…"

Erza understood immediately.

"I'm a teacher," she said without hesitation, eliciting a big smile in response from the man.

"Teacher…" he said rather warmly, as if a very fond topic of his had been touched upon.

"The best profession in this world…whatever I'm today is because of my teachers."

Erza beamed enthusiastically at the appraisal. Considering how teaching was usually undermined in various 'elitist' circles, it was pleasant to hear such a big business tycoon talk so passionately about the profession.

"During those fragile periods when you can either make your life or break it, I was guided by my teachers into the right direction and trained to acquire all the positives that I could from this world. I'm glad to know that you're a teacher. Trust me Ms. Scarlet, yours is the best job in this world."

Erza was amazed, to say the least. The man who earned in trillions, the man who rode a Bentley and the man who owned the largest group of industries, was one of the humblest souls that Erza had come across in her life. The genuine grace and longing in his voice represented well, the respect that he had for his teachers.

"What grades do you teach?"

"Primary school. First to fifth."

"Ah! This must be an amazing experience!" said Jellal, thoroughly impressed.

"Kids all around. An excellent job to get your hands on."

Erza nodded in vigour.

"Yes. It is, indeed, a wonderful experience," her voice reflected the warmth that exuded from the man at the mention of children.

It was written all over Jellal's face. He adored kids.

"How I wish I could do something like that. Teaching has always been one of my secret ambitions. If I never had this business to handle, I would have been teaching at some humble institution for sure."

"That is," Erza began, flushed. "Very good to hear, sir."

"You seem to really love children," she added without a pause, eyeing the man curiously.

"Absolutely," said Jellal, without any faltering or delay. "Kids are the embodiments of god, aren't they? I know some really lovely kids, who keep me from all sorts of troubles and tensions in life."

"Your relatives?"

"Not really…Gray's kids. I don't have many relatives. Ours has always been a very compact family."

Erza was amused. It was true that Gray had mentioned something about his kids during their brief and embarrassing chat in the escalator, but the entire concept of him handling little children, seemed too alien and strange to Erza.

"Mr. Fullbuster's kids?" she said, trying to make that fact sound a little less astonishing and abnormal.

"Yes," said Jellal, chuckling. "His three little imps who make my life worth living."

"I see."

Erza suddenly had a vivid mental picture of Gray Fullbuster changing diapers and cleaning baby poop. She had to bite the insides of her cheeks to keep herself from guffawing and embarrassing herself in front of Jellal. It was only when the latter proceeded further with the conversation by asking another question, that she abandoned her silly thoughts and focused on what the blue haired man was saying.

"So, Where do you teach Ms. Erza?"

"Carmel Presbyterian school. It's right next to Cardia Cathedral."

"Ah…OK…I think I've been to that school before."

"You _have_?" Erza blurted, her eyes widening. She had joined the school quite recently, so this was more of a breaking news to her.

"Yes…two years back I suppose. It was for some economic forum that the Union of Magnolian Students had conducted. Carmel Presbyterian was the host. Were you not teaching at Carmel when that happened?"

"I am afraid not," said Erza. She was more of a newbie in town. Two years back, she had been living happily in Sycca, a small town in the outskirts of Oshibana city, teaching the kids at the local school and enjoying her life with her family; her parents and two younger siblings.

However, that was all before a certain event changed her life forever and brought her to Magnolia. She had been left waiting at the altar, her white gown soiling and withering away in the absence of the person who had vanished abruptly, sans any note or phone call explaining his absence. Magnolia had been her only hope and it wouldn't be wrong to say that she was still looking for her absconded beloved in the very streets and alleys that they passed.

It was funny how everything would just boil down to this for Erza at the end of the day. No matter how hard she tried, what philosophical anecdotes she gave to herself, she just couldn't get past the terrible, haunting memories. There were times when she was determined and strong enough to not let them ruin her life completely, but the sad, devastated faces of her parents would somehow prevent her from destroying this cycle. Even a small trigger- a tiny event with no explicit connections to her past- would manage to pull her back into the void.

"Ms. Erza, are you OK? Ms. Erza?" Jellal placed his hand gently on Erza's arm, worriedly looking at the sudden paleness of her skin. Erza blinked rapidly and wiped a sweat drop that trickled down her neck.

"Yes…I'm fine," she lied, looking out of the window.

"I was not here…two years back…Carmel," she said with a tone of finality, indicating no further entertainment of the topic. Jellal was befuddled, wondering what could have elicited such a strong reaction to a seemingly harmless topic. But then, he thought about his own experience in life and deduced that some memories were just too potent to be ignored. The old feeling of understating and the resonance of thoughts that Jellal had experienced while looking into Erza's eyes at Carlton and her apartment, returned. Something told him that the woman sitting on his left, was no different from him in terms of coping with a possibly terrible past. He did not know her well, yet, there was something about the way she carried herself that made him consider this possibility.

"I'm sorry if I said anything bothersome Ms. Erza," Jellal whispered uncertainly, moving forward on his seat to have a look at her tense expression.

"Please don't be sorry Mr. Fernandez. You did not do anything wrong. I'm just…missing my parents," Erza replied, still avoiding Jellal's eyes. For some reason, she feared that he would come to know the truth if he looked into her eyes.

"Oh," said Jellal, easing back a little. He wasn't convinced in the least by the explanation, but he decided to leave it at that. Besides, there was a desperate need for a change of topic.

Before any of the two could come up with something to lighten the mood, the distant sound of trumpets and drums drifted into the car. Jellal and Erza let their minds glide away in that instant and tried to figure out the direction from which the noise came. They looked out of their respective windows and were surprised to see a massive jam ahead which seemed to stretch on forever.

"What happened Gordon?" Jellal inquired, his head turning in all directions. "This is Oakfarm, right?"

"It most certainly is sir," said the driver, confused. "Seems like they are rehearsing for Independence Day. I can see the national flag and a big tableau carrying performers up ahead."

"You're right," breathed Jellal, spotting the said tableau.

"Wasn't this supposed to happen on the Wendley district route?"

"I've no idea, sir."

Erza turned instinctively on her seat and had a look behind. They were slowly being joined by a large number of vehicles, effectively creating a trap that would make it difficult for the car to maneuver out.

"A gridlock," she whispered, terrified, as the ear-piercing cacophony of horns rose around them.

Jellal checked his watch anxiously.

"I'm going to be late for the meeting," he mumbled, sighing. "In fact, at this rate, I'll have to cancel it altogether. Gordon, is there a way out?"

The driver shook his head.

"None that I can see sir. We could have slipped out just a second ago, but the passage has been blocked now."

Jellal could very well see that for himself. They had been sandwiched in between a massive gridlock that seemed to be increasing in size by the minute.

Where were the traffic authorities when you needed them the most?

At that precise moment, a loud ring sounded inside the car and the two in the backseat, jumped again.

Jellal reached for his breast-pocket and extracted his phone for the second time. It was Gray.

"_Hey buddy. Lucy's fine. She's resting at the moment. The nurse just gave her some medicines. The doctor says she'll be fine by tomorrow morning. The fever seems to have gone down as well."_

"That's great," said Jellal, relieved. However, he was also tense about the situation they had landed into.

"You need to tell me something Gray. It seems like you had confused yourself with the routes. We are at Oakfarm right now, and it is here that they are rehearsing for the celebrations."

Gray cleared his throat loudly on the other end.

"_Are you sure about that?"  
_

"Of course I am Gray," said Jellal, rolling his eyes. "We are stuck in a massive jam at the moment. I couldn't be surer in my life."

"_Oh shucks!" _came the immediate response. "_I was mistaken then. I'm terribly sorry buddy! What are you going to do about the meeting now? Juvia has taken a car to pick up the kids from a birthday party and two of your other cars are at the service station. By the time I reach Oakfarm, it will be too late."_

"I can just wait and see. If it takes too long, I will have to cancel the meeting."

"O_h,' _came Gray's response. He coughed a bit too loudly and apologized again.

"S_orry about this Jellal. I should have checked."_

"It's OK Gray," Jellal sighed. "What has happened has happened. We really can't do anything about this now. I'll have to get things sorted on my end now. Mr. Neekis won't be happy of course, but I've no choice."

"_Best of luck buddy."_

Jellal shook his head as the line disconnected.

"Great," he whispered to himself.

"I am sorry Mr. Fernandez," began Erza. "I wish I could help you but…well…"

"It's OK Ms. Scarlet. Now you are apologizing for no reason at all. It's just a meeting. I can have it any other time. I hope you are not getting late for anything?"

"No, not at all."

"That's good. We'll have to wait for the road to clear now. There's no other way out."

It was Erza's time to sigh. She was stuck in the middle of a traffic gridlock with the richest man in Fiore sitting right next to her. She didn't know if she was supposed to feel elated or dejected because of this little development.

* * *

Quite a few kilometers away, a certain black haired man was congratulating himself on his little achievement.

"Wonderful Gray Fullbuster. Absolutely marvelous," he chuckled, patting himself on the back.

"What are you giggling about, dear husband?" Juvia appeared at the door, her arms crossed, flashing a playful smile at the man.

Gray turned around abruptly to look at his wife and couldn't help but admire the way she looked all gorgeous and stunning in the cream coloured dress that she wore. For a second, Gray forgot all about his little matchmaking mission, lost in admiration as he was.

"Ah well," he said, inching closer to his wife, his hands itching to curl themselves around Juvia's waist. Five years? Bah. It felt like he'd seen his wife walk down the aisle just a day ago.

"Let's just say I've been to a lucky draw today and lady luck seems to have been a little too generous with me, as she has been with other aspects of my lifeall these years." he wound his arms around his wife and pulled her closer to him.

Juvia smirked and blushed at the same time. While she was not the 'blushing bride' anymore, five years had done little to take that spicy element out of the relationship for her; the element that always managed to make her legs feel all wobbly whenever her husband tried being more romantic than his nature allowed him to be.

"You've been to a lot of such draws of late," she answered back, looking into his eyes unblinkingly, her lips bit in. "Juvia wants to know what this one was all about."

Gray raised a brow. "Third person again? I seem to be exciting someone here."

"Oh _Gray-sama _has _no_ idea," whispered Juvia, giving a small peck to her husband on the lips.

A shiver of anticipation ran down Gray's spine. Third person and 'Gray-sama' were always equivalents of a promise of a wonderful night ahead.

"Wait for a few days my dear wife," he said at length, after giving a nice little kiss to his wife. "The plan is in it's initial stage at the moment. Let it blossom a little, and then I'll tell you all about it."

"Hmmmmmm," Juvia hummed, feigning wonder. "Juvia thinks she'll wait to hear it out because this plans sounds quite interesting."_  
_Gray smirked.

"You don't have even the _slightest _of idea," he whispered, before plunging in for a second round.

* * *

Natsu Dragneel had never been so distracted in his life. He was not the kind of person who would give a damn about a very serious and tense issue, long after encountering it. He was the kind who took everything in his stride and pushed away all negative energy with a blazing smile that cleared all bad thoughts. Yet, as he finished his meeting with his new client and said goodbye to his manager, he walked aimlessly down a crowded street, his face expressionless and his mind oblivious to any curses that came his way as he banged into people.

Every time he tried to clear his mind and focus on his work, the face of a young blonde would pop up inside his head, preventing him from flashing that trademark smile of his.

What was it about that woman that distracted him so much? What was it about that woman that made him so glum and morose? What was it about that woman that made his million dollar smile, wither into a frown?

He had no answer.

All he knew was that he was being haunted by those chocolate brown eyes that looked at him through the dark eyelids.

_Lucy Heartfilia... Who exactly are you?_

No matter how hard he tried, Natsu's mind would often drift back to Erza's bedroom to witness the events that had occurred there last night. He flinched as he remembered how the blonde had reacted; smashing the bedside lamp and ripping off the bed sheet. The eyes that had seemed so helpless and lonely in that deserted street of East Magnolia had been burning with incandescent rage in the bedroom. What was it about her life that had made her so bitter?

Natsu couldn't know, but somehow, for a reason he could neither fathom nor explain, he wanted to know.

The phone in his pocket vibrated and Natsu's heart almost jumped out of his ribcage. It was a text message from Natalia, reminding him about a date in the evening. Natsu promptly ignored the message and put the phone back into his pocket. He knew well that if he did not respond to the text, she would just shrug it off and go ahead with some other guy.

Besides, there were some pressing issues that needed to be considered. There was the face of a woman that needed to be erased from his mind.

Only problem being that the imprint was so deep and indelible, that it was almost impossible to wipe it off without hurting himself in the process.

* * *

After about fifteen minutes of anxious waiting in the car, Jellal finally decided to make the call. Considering the warm ties that he had with Mr. Neekis, only a two minute discussion and persuasion was enough to postpone the meeting. However, Jellal did not feel good about it. This was, perhaps, the first time in life that he had to postpone an important meeting.

But, this was also the first time that he had met a woman who seemed to reflect the same concerns and experiences by just looking at him with her warm brown eyes. Not that it gave him _signals _or _signs _of any sort. Sometimes, certain events just lead to some other big events and the participants don't even come to know where they are headed towards.

For half an hour, nobody spoke in the car. The only sounds that were present came from the audio system. Jellal and Erza sat tight-lipped, listening to a popular RJ talk about first love over the radio.

"…_and as the first sakura petal touches the thirsty ground, love blossoms. It blossoms so beautifully, so magnificently that it captivates the hearts of the onlookers, making them a part of this beautiful affair called love…The violins in the background, stars in broad-daylight, the sweet dreams with open eyes and the rocketing pulse rates…everything seems so pure, so heartwarming. Join us listeners, in spreading the power of love…call me on 1951958 and share your feelings. For it is by sharing happiness that you share positivism, and it is by sharing happiness, that you share love…_

The smooth, silky voice soon melted into an equally soothing number. The saccharine melody made the two in the backseat, look out of the windows into a bitter-sweet world that was an essential part of their lives. The song was too familiar, it's lyrics too accurate; the streets outside melted and morphed into two distinct yet similar worlds, the grey shades of the past, washing away the colours of the present. Both of them went through those same heart-wrenching moments that defined and chained them today, the lyrics of the song doing no good to them. Affection, love, betrayal, heartache; the themes were the same for them, only with the difference of flavour and circumstances.

"_I promise I'll never leave you Erza. I will love you forever…"_

"_Jellal…you mean the world to me."_

"_When I close my eyes, I see your face. You are a part of me."_

"_The warmth of your hands Jellal…I can never seem to get enough of it…please don't leave my side, ever."_

"_I…I have my own dreams Erza, my own ambitions. I need to go."_

"_I don't want to spend the rest of my life as the housewife of a multimillionaire…"_

The sequence was the same in both cases.

Affection- love- betrayal- heartache.

However, Erza, after all these years, still couldn't fathom what had driven her lover away. He had put it under the garb of ambition and profession, but Natsu's revelation years back had made her doubt her stance. Yet, she had been stupid enough to give the man a second chance for she'd been betrayed again.

Or, had she really been betrayed?

Jellal thought about his own failures in life; massive failures that had nothing to do with business. Yes, a successful man who was a maverick when it came to handling a multimillion dollar enterprise, was a big loser in his personal life. Despite the fact that he was really not responsible for any of the fall-outs or separations, he still couldn't help but blame himself for almost every reason that he could think of. What remained of his life now, was a deep regret that boiled down to a single '_If only I had.'_

Another twenty minutes passed in absolute silence. The constant honking outside had dimmed and the traffic authorities had finally managed to break the gridlock. The processions ahead had stopped, and a smaller yet shorter route to the Cardia bypass had been cleared for the traffic to diffuse.

As the Bentley finally got to maneuver through the gradually dispersing traffic, Erza snapped her head to the right.

She ought to make amends. Mr. Fernandez had to cancel an important meeting today and she was responsible for it, albeit unintentionally.

Therefore, as the car came to a halt before Rosewood Apartments, Erza decided to grab the opportunity and put forth her offer.

"Uhm… Mr. Fernandez?" she began, playing around with words in her mind.

"I'm really sorry about your meeting today. If you don't have any urgent business to tend to at the moment, I'll be glad if you come over for a cup of tea." she crossed her fingers behind her back for no apparent reason.

Jellal seemed a bit surprised. He had not expected an offer like that, but there was no harm in accepting it either. In fact, it was yet another way of paying Erza back for the help last night.

"Well, It seems like I'm not allowed to answer in the negative here," he said with a smile. "Gordon, I'll be back in a while."

With this, the two made their way towards the lobby. The watchman, immediately recognizing the man from last night (and perhaps, a couple of newspapers and magazines) bowed and straightened his uniform. Erza sincerely hoped that they would not run into any of her neighbors or apartment residents on the way to the fifth floor. Thankfully, her desperate pleading availed a positive response and they made it to her apartment door without encountering any flabbergasted and stumped neighbor on their way.

"Please," said Erza, as she pushed open the door, moving aside for the man to enter.

"Thank you."

For some reason, Erza's apartment smelt of boiled cabbages and she had no idea as to where that horrendous stench came from. She quickly made a dash for the windows and threw them open, cursing heaven's for letting that sickly, suffocating stench drift into her house today, of all days in a week.

Jellal Fernandez made his way slowly towards the sofas, observing every angle and corner of the house. Last night, he really did not have the opportunity to take in his surroundings properly. Now that he was _more at leisure, _he looked around with deep interest, impressed by the redhead's good taste in designing. The only thing that stood out in this well-maintained apartment, however, was a pair of bright red boxer shorts with cartoon-like flames that had been carelessly tossed over the table.

To Erza's deep embarrassment and misfortune, Jellal noticed that oddity at almost the same time as her.

Talk about ignominy.

_What the hell is this thing doing here? How did I miss it? _Erza screeched inside her head, giving the dirtiest of curses to Natsu at the same time. She had been so distracted in the morning that she had failed to notice that eyesore lying shamelessly on the table.

Erza was sure she had melted into a liquid state. She did not even have the courage to look at Jellal, who had tactfully decided to ignore that piece of clothing.

_Shit shit shit, _mumbled Erza, brisk-walking towards the table and grabbing the damned boxers. Natsu was going to be castrated for this today.

"S-sorry about t-that," she breathed, as she returned after having dumped the boxers in the bathroom. "Well Natsu…"

"It's OK," said Jellal, smiling awkwardly. "I can understand. I used to live in a boy's hostel back in college. I pretty much know what it is like so yeah…"

There was an uncomfortable pause and Erza played with her side fringe nervously.

"Tea?" she said timidly, looking at her bellies and Jellal nodded.

"I'll get it right away," she did not even wait for a response. She dashed towards the kitchen in that instant and exhaled forcefully as soon as she was out of the man's earshot.

"Natsu you little…" she hissed, looking for the teapot and cups. Considering that it had been Natsu who had arranged the utensils after breakfast this morning, Erza was sure she would have a hard time figuring out where her stuff had been stashed away carelessly.

"Now where did he keep the teacups?" she huffed, placing her hands on her hips and surveying the kitchen for any signs of the said item. She started scanning the drawers and the various cabinets that lined the chimney on either side, frowning.

"Where is it? _Where _is it?"

She opened the final cabinet and was relieved to spot the set. The only problem was that it was placed on the top-most shelf, and she was not tall enough to reach it. She usually kept infrequently used stuff on that shelf and somehow, Natsu had found it convenient to put it right _there._

"Oh god…_why?" _sighed Erza. Now, she _actually _considered castrating the pink-head.

Erza turned around to look for a stool or any other form of elevation and spotted a dingy looking one standing right next to the dining table.

"There you are," she whispered, grabbing the stool and placing it right in front of the cabinet. Maintaining her balance, she mounted the elevated surface and reached out for the teacups.

It was still not enough.

Even with her outstretched hands, she could barely touch the cups.

_Damn it Natsu! Keeps messing up with my stuff, _she hissed inside her head, shifting her weight on her toes. She had almost made it to the shelf when Jellal suddenly appeared at the doorway.

"I thought I would help you out-" he began, but he never got the opportunity to complete his sentence.

Upon hearing his voice, Erza freaked out for no reason and turned furiously on the rickety stool. Her ankle twisted with the sudden movement and in an attempt to grab her ailing foot, she lost her balance and found herself airborne.

"MS. SCARLET!"

Erza closed her eyes tightly in anticipation of the painful impact. However, her body never touched the surface. Instead of falling painfully on the tiles, something warm grabbed her waist and wrists. The very next instant, she found herself underneath her esteemed guest.

Slowly opening her eyes, she was rendered speechless as she looked straight into the wide eyes of the said man, panting deeply.

Because of the little time that he had to catch his falling host, Jellal did not even attempt to make his own balance when he grabbed Erza. The sudden impact and his ill-preparedness made his knee buckle and go tumbling down on the floor, right on top of the redhead.

Currently, the two were tightly entwined on the floor; Erza's one leg was cleft in between Jellal's and her left hand was wound tightly around his shoulder. Jellal, on the other hand, had braced his fists on either sides of Erza's face, his nose inches apart from hers.

_Too_ close.

Erza had no idea why she felt so dizzy and…

_Good._

She was not even a finger's distance away from the man. They were so close that his blue hair dangled right in front of her eyes and brushed against her forehead. Their eyes were wide and round and their surprisingly synchronized breathing fell on each others lips, stunning them into silence.

In that moment of closeness, when their light pants were the only sounds in the eerily silent kitchen, their minds had experienced a whirlwind of emotions.

But, a moment is just a moment. A little period of time that starts all of a sudden and ends immediately. Despite the scarcity of time, the person or the people experiencing the moment, seem to live it down to every micro-second.

Therefore, as the two on the floor melted into each others gaze, they grasped a very essential fact about themselves in relation to the other.

They were not different.

They were, essentially and in their heart and soul, the same.

"I-I am s-sorry," stuttered Jellal, realizing what position he was in and getting up in one springy movement. Erza, on the other hand, was speechless. She did not even attempt to say anything because she had completely lost the ability to utilize her vocal chords.

"I-I," Jellal continued, his face bearing a striking resemblance to a tomato. "I-I…urm…a-are y-you OK?" he ruffled his hair and straightened the collar of his jacket.

Erza looked down and covered her front with the shrug that had almost slipped down her shoulders. She was about to shake her head to indicate that she was fine, when a searing pain ran through her left foot.

"Ouch!" she moaned, grabbing her ankle and rubbing it haphazardly.

"What happened Ms. Erza?" Jellal breathed, worried. He had stopped blushing and had immediately reached for the woman's foot.

"Let me have a look," he insisted, gently brushing away her fingers and grabbing the foot with his big, warm hands.

Wait a minute.

Did Erza just think of Jellal's hands as being big and _warm?_

_No…I did not feel that! I did not FEEL that! _she thought, terrified. Her body felt so numb, yet the places where he touched with his gentle fingers, seemed to flare up with sudden contact.

"A sprain," Jellal concluded, pressing the affected area with his index finger and thumb. "Where do you keep your first-aid kit Ms. Scarlet?"

"B-bedroom d-drawer," Erza croaked, breathing heavily.

"Will you be able to get up on your own?"

"O-ofcourse I will," Erza was determined to not take any kind of help from the man. She shifted her entire weight on her hands and tried to push herself onto her feet. She did manage to balance herself on her right foot, but the moment she set her left foot on the floor, the pain shot like arrows up her leg and made her stumble.

"Careful!" exclaimed Jellal, grabbing her by the waist and keeping her upright. "Is the pain too unbearable?" he asked, concerned.

Erza's wince was an appropriate answer to his question.

Jellal hesitated for a second but got down to business eventually.

"I'm sorry about this Ms. Scarlet, but I'll have to-"

He bent a little; bracing his right arm against Erza's back, he cupped the insides of her knees and pulled up. Erza's eyes widened in surprise as she was scooped up by the gentleman. Losing her balance with the sudden movement, her hands instinctively reached for his shoulders.

This was _not _happening.

This was _just not _happening.

Erza's pulse rate had broken all records and was touching new heights. It was such a tremendous increase that she thought she might have an attack any moment. Hyperventilation was just an understatement.

Once in the bedroom, Jellal set Erza gently on her bed and went to the kitchen again to get an ice pack.

He came back seconds later, holding the pack with a piece of cloth and touching it's surface to check the temperature.

"This should do," he said, grabbing some pillows and cushions. He formed an elevation with them at the foot of the bed and asked Erza to set her ankle on top of the pillows.

"There you go," said Jellal, helping Erza as she struggled with her injured limb.

Next, he wrapped the flexible bag around her ankle and pressed it with the cloth.

Erza winced slightly as the bag made contact with her skin. She had to gather all her strength to prevent herself from screaming out in pain.

"It's going to be fine Ms. Scarlet. Remember, keep up with this treatment for today. Tomorrow, use a hot water bag. Keep alternating between ice and heat for some time and it will be fine," Jellal said, smiling gently.

"OK," mumbled Erza, looking down at her bed sheet and grabbing it with her free hand.

_Is this really happening?_

Her heart was pounding at an inhuman speed and her lips were trembling. It was not the pain. It was something else.

Kindness. Concern. Selflessness…these were the essential traits that defined this man; a man who was technically rich enough to not give a damn about anyone else but himself. Yet, he had accepted her offer to have a cup of tea in her apartment and had got down to giving her twisted ankle an immediate treatment.

This was the true Jellal Fernandez. Beneath the massive layers of wealth, fame and power lay a heart which was made up of gold. If not his actions, his innocent eyes were enough to make Erza realize the true worth of this individual. Therefore, it was extremely difficult for her to know why, at this very same spot last night, a certain female had behaved so rashly with this man. She would have needed a very strong reason to loath a man such as him.

"Ms. Scarlet," said Jellal, as he continued pressing the bag to her skin. "I was thinking it would be good if you call up Mr. Dragneel and tell him about your condition. Wait, I'll make the call. Just give me his number,"

Erza paused for a moment, having forgotten her best friend's number. This was definitely one of the pitfalls of having massive technological developments. Just a few years ago, she would have been able to memorize at least twenty phone numbers at a time. Now, it was difficult to remember even one. She quickly reached for her mobile phone and gave Jellal the number. It took him only thirty seconds to explain everything to Natsu, who practically obeyed him like a hypnotized slave.

"He'll be here in ten minutes. Shall I make some coffee for you?"

Erza gulped and stared unblinkingly at the man.

Had the richest man in Fiore just requested to make her a coffee in her own apartment?

Was she alive?

Was she riding a unicorn over the rainbows?

Or, did she just find Gold Roger's lost treasure?

Maybe she did.

"No!" she gasped, trying to sit upright against the bolster. "I mean, you don't have to trouble yourself Mr. Fernandez. I'm feeling fine. You don't need to make anything for me."

"It'll make you feel better Ms. Scarlet. Don't worry too much. I make decent coffee," he added with a smile.

"Ah well," said Erza, unsure of how to explain her reservations to the man. "Mr. Fernandez. I should have been making that coffee for you. You don't need to trouble yourself with this. I am absolutely fine."

Jellal chuckled lightly.

"I am not troubling myself Ms. Scarlet. Trust me, this is not an inconvenience. I like cooking and making beverages," he laughed.

"Oh…well…"

Five minutes later, a steaming cup of coffee was placed before Erza.

"I don't know how to thank you for-" she began, as Jellal grabbed the icepack from her and pressed it against her ankle.

"You don't need to. I've said this before Ms. Scarlet. This is nothing in comparison to what you and your friend did for me last night. You saved my sister's life and gave her shelter. This is the least I can do for you in return."

Erza smiled and took a sip of the coffee. It was absolutely delicious.

"This is really good," she said, reddening.

"Thank you," Jellal scratched the back of his head and blushed as deeply as Erza.

"I-"

At that precise moment, the doorbell rang, startling both Erza and Jellal. The latter had almost spilt the coffee down her front in alarm.

"I'll get it," said Jellal, passing the ice-bag to Erza. He came back seconds later, escorting a very dazed and worried looking Natsu.

"What did you do to yourself now, you careless little woman?" he scolded, glaring at the pillows and the ice bag.

Erza cleared her throat and glared back at Natsu. He had some _explanation _to give. It was really funny how he pretended to be all bossy in front of his idol.

"_Really_ Natsu?" Erza growled, with a fake sweetness in her tone. It was a tone that Natsu was quite familiar with for he recognized it immediately and gulped.

"Ah well…" he said, coughing loudly. 'I mean…you are such a vigilant and responsible young lady Erza. How on earth did you get hurt?'

Erza continued glaring at Natsu.

"Accidents happen Mr. Dragneel," Jellal intercepted, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Even with the most attentive of people. Just make sure you take good care of Ms. Scarlet. I know I don't have to say this but still," he shrugged.

"Definitely Mr. Fernandez. I'll make sure she is fit and running in two days," said Natsu, sounding all important and responsible.

Erza faked a smile and gave secret messages to Natsu via her steely glare.

He was going to have it today for that horrendous looking boxers and the teacups that he had placed so high up.

* * *

Lucy Heartfilia was, in all sense of the word, awake. Yet, she kept her eyes closed, wishing there would soon be a time when she could open them without the fear of getting up in a world that she despised so much. Every morning when she would open her eyes, she would see the same dull walls around her; the sober, repressive walls of the mansion which had both sweet and sour memories in store for her. She would be reminded of her past and her identity; who she was, who she is and who she would be for the rest of her life. She would often run away from this reality, only to accept defeat and run straight back into a world where she belonged; a world that was her individuality and her strength despite being a dark, gloomy place with no light.

She would come back for the sake of her mother, if not for anybody else.

As she lay on her bed, under the thick bandage covers and the plaster, she analysed her past actions and decisions. She knew her cause was right and just. She was fighting for her rights and there was nothing wrong in that.

Yet, she ought to be a little more careful. If she had to win this battle, she had to be a bit more tactful.

Like _old days_ you could say.

With this thought in mind, Lucy Heartfilia opened her eyes and got off the bed. Her head felt heavy and her limbs ached terribly. However, this was just a part of the larger struggle in her life; the struggle to get what she deserved and what her dead mother had deserved. Thankfully, none of the irritating maids had been stationed in her room and she was free to move around. She limped her way to the dressing table and faced the mirror.

She looked terrible; her skin had paled and sunk, and dark circles had appeared under her eyes. Her hair had become very oily and messy and her lips had lost the rosy texture that they once had.

"I won't do this to myself," Lucy said in a flat tone, touching her dry skin. "I won't do this to myself…You should be the one in this condition. You should be the one in my position."

She braced her palm against the mirror and breathed heavily.

"You should be the one suffering, Jellal Fernandez…"

* * *

"Alright then Ms. Scarlet. I'll leave now. Please take good care of yourself and exercise that foot of yours. It'll be better if you take a leave for a day or two. That will heal your foot completely."

Natsu had taken over from Jellal and was listening to his instructions like an obedient student. Erza nodded shyly as the man gave her tips to heal the sprain faster than usual.

"Thank you Mr. Fernandez. Thank you for this."

"You're welcome Ms. Scarlet. It was a pleasure meeting you and Mr. Dragneel," he gave him a big smile.

"I'll escort you to your car sir," said Natsu, straightening his back and making a very serious expression that looked comical on his face.

"Ah...that will be fine . Please take care of Ms. Erza. I will go on my own."

"I insist sir," said Natsu, his accent sounding quite regal all of a sudden.

"Well…" said Jellal, giving up. "If you say so."

Natsu nodded and turned to look at Erza.

"I'll be back in a minute."

Erza sighed and smiled at Jellal. For a reason that she could not explain, she didn't want him to leave. For her, this was perhaps the beginning of some inexplicable feelings that would soon amount to a moral and emotional dilemma; the sounding of the bugle as the dark clouds of a tempest, gathered overhead.

_Thank you Mr. Fernandez. Thank you._

* * *

**(A/N): Isn't Jellal the most adorable person in this world? ^W^**

**I can't believe chapter 298 just happened...OMFG! Jellal you sneaky lil...hahahahahah! I wish I could see his face when he did **_**that! **_***fangirl mode on* KYYYAAAAAAHHHHH~**

**Ohk so...well... (the silence before a storm) I'll try my best to update the chapter before Tuesday because I am going for a college trip next week. If I am unable to do that, the chapter will be updated next to next week for sure.**

**Thanks and bear hugs to the following people for reading, reviewing, liking and following- LunarMoonWater, DanikaStar, WolfCrusade, AssassinDevil, Helekiller2, 1fairytaillover, IzzyScarlet, babylovee, JuviaIce, penguin trainer, YellowFan98, Delaila, Erza Scarlet Titania, Didi, DarkXFeatheredCosmic, Assault-type PJ, RecordingDreams, wolfteam000, , Kaileenholic, zatanga, MistRenmei, KiDLatZ, Xenfea, Mistress Persona, Arashi-Storm-Guardian, Sarah Eustacia Eve Rosalie, JERZA4EVERFEVER, any and all anime, MinotaurKing, calcode, extalia, PlatinaBirds and counterfactuals.**

**Until next time people!**


	10. Hate at First Sight?

**Are you hallucinating? Are your eyes deceiving you? Has the sky fallen over? No, my friends. I feel proud to state that I am alive and kickin'. Therefore, I present to you this update to prove that I haven't conked out, yet.**

**The rating for this chapter will change to an M because of a certain pink-head's tongue and certain other concepts.**

**Now, excuse me as I take refuge in a hobbit hole to avoid the Weapons of Mass Destruction coming my way. Yiiiikkkeeeesssss.**

**If the world ends on the 21st, Fairy Tail **_**might**_** belong to me. Right now, it belongs to Hiro Mashima. **

* * *

**-CHAPTER TEN-**

**Hate at First Sight?**

* * *

It was the day of deliverance. Natsu Dragneel had said his final prayers and was ready for the Divine Judgment. With his head bowed low, his limbs jittery and sweaty, he stood in supplication before the great Erza Scarlet, pleading for leniency. Even with an injured left foot, her commanding and authoritative frame was enough to make the pink-head go down on his knees. The silence preceding the judgment was so pressing and tense, that Mr. Dragneel found it difficult to even breathe properly.

"So, I'm _careless_?" Erza said in a flat tone. This was a prelude to a thunderstorm that was to rain down upon the poor male in a few seconds.

"I did say you were vigilant to correct myself, didn't I?" Natsu said timidly, his eyes lowered.

"What about that stupid, I-am-holier-than-thou-accent in front of Mr. Fernandez?" asked Erza, her arms folded and her expression, stern.

"Well, it just… _happened! _I did not intend to speak in that accent! Common Erza! It was just an _accent_!"

"Yeah right," Erza scoffed, letting out a forceful 'ha' at the end of her sentence. "An accent that made you sound like a pretentious bastard in front of Mr. Fernandez!"

"No it didn't-"

"YES it DID, Natsu!"

Erza was trying to control her temper by moving her right foot in circles. That didn't help much, but it was better than blowing off a fuse and throwing some heavy object across the room.

"What about those hideous boxers in my living room?" she spat. "You do realize that you're not living in some PG or boy's hostel? How many times do I have to tell you to keep your stuff in the right place! Just because I allow you to keep some of your clothes here, does not automatically mean that you would use my sofa as a means to dry them."

Natsu blushed slightly at the mention of that particular article of clothing. Now, this was an unexpected reaction for it was not in the pink-head's nature to redden so easily.

"Did Mr. Fernandez see those boxers?"

"HECK YEAH!"

Natsu's jaw dropped to the floor. "Holy crap! That's like the worst pair I have!"

"You don't say! The dorkiest that I have seen in my life! What is up with those cheaply made flames anyway?"

"It was from a flea market! Half Jewel a pair!" explained Natsu, with elaborate hand gestures. "Where do you get them so cheap these days?"

Erza 'hmphed' and looked away. The idea of having such inexpensive undergarments available in one of the markets at a time of inflation, piqued her interest.

Without cutting down on the chastising tone, she looked at Natsu from the corner of her eyes and made the necessary inquiry.

"Where is this market?"

"Feller street, West Magnolia," Natsu said immediately, hoping his friend would calm down with this distraction.

Sadly, that did not happen. As quickly as she had changed the pace of the conversation to ask that important question, Erza had brought it back on the same track without much effort.

After all, the most important aspect of the Judgment was yet to be delivered.

"What about those teacups? Just what were you thinking when you placed them on the top-most shelf of my cabinet?"

Natsu tried to think of an explanation quickly.

"Your kitchen is so full! I couldn't find any other place!"

"Really now?" Erza grunted, pretty much at the verge of losing all of her patience. "My kitchen is well organised and much better than yours. This excuse won't work. You'll have to come up with something better."

"Ok…how about, I was in a hurry and I decided to place them there?"

Natsu had to duck as an alarm clock was tossed at him with much ferocity. The poor device crashed into the wall behind him and turned to dust.

"Alright! I'm a dunce! Happy?"

Erza's nostrils were flaring. She bared her teeth at Natsu and rumbled,

"Tell me something new. This is a well renowned fact."

It was a pity she couldn't walk without limping for some time. Erza just wanted to get off the godforsaken bed and give the pink-head a good beating.

"You're lucky I am bedridden at the moment. You would have had it from me otherwise," she hissed, doing breathing exercises to keep that massive surge of fury at bay.

"Erza, I said I am sorry!" Natsu pleaded. "Why are you so mad anyway? You could have taken a chair, got onto it and taken out those teacups! Oh, by the way, how did you manage to twist your ankle?"

With that much dreaded question, Erza visualized the fall again; the call, the twist, the suddenness of the situation and the _entanglement. _The re-enactment of the entire episode made her blush so deeply that her hair almost withered in shame.

"Ahem!" Erza harrumphed, her voice unnaturally loud. "That's none of your business!" The fact that she could still fell Mr. Fernandez's breath on her face was not helping her with the exercise to calm her nerves.

Natsu raised a brow but dropped the topic at that. He knew better than to prod a hungry lioness.

"But," Erza said suddenly, her tone back to being vicious. "This does _NOT _mean that I'll let you go that easily. What you have done today is unforgivable and I don't need to give you any explanation as to why I deem it so. You'll have to face the punishment and there is no escaping from it. And, I mean _NO_ escape!" Natsu yelped and shrieked like a five year old girl as a creepy silence, fell into the room. The lioness breathed heavily, her flaming red mane falling on her face, accentuating every line that had been formed as a result of severe contortion. The poor pink-head could hear the dangerous growls that came as an undercurrent to the deep, excruciatingly slow breaths that Erza took.

"W-what p-punishment?" he slurred, shaking violently in his pants. The word itself had the ability to make him think about his worst nightmare. All sorts of plausible scenarios played inside his head; everything ranging from a flaming stick being shoved up his ass to forced fasting for days. A pissed Erza Scarlet was capable of doing absolutely anything. ANYTHING.

For the two minutes of silence that followed the harangue, Natsu couldn't think clearly. It seemed as if his brain had stopped working all of a sudden, owing to the numbness that came along with some chilling mental images of torture. Thankfully for him, the doorbell rang the next instant, providing some temporary yet much needed respite to him.

With a jump that made it look like his heels had been embedded with some kind of a spring, Natsu dashed out of the room before Erza could so much as utter a word, thanking heavens for providing him with a distraction. He wrenched open the door without looking into the eyehole, his gratitude for the skies increasing manifold as he received a beaming Levy McGarden.

"Oh Hey Natsu!" she chirped, waving two nimble fingers at him.

If provided with an altar and a bouquet of flowers, Natsu could have married the petite woman out of pure gratitude. He let out a yelp of joy and flung at her, causing her to squeak and almost drop the phone that she was carrying in her hand.

"Oye! Natsu! Whattya doing?" came Levy's stifled response, as the enthusiastic male nearly choked her to death.

"Levy! You have no idea…no _friggin' _idea what this means to me right now! You have managed to save a life today!" he declared, his grin stretching from ear to ear.

To say that Levy McGarden was stunned would be an understatement. It wasn't like Natsu needed an occasion to act weird, but he surely surpassed himself today. Behind this garb of over enthusiasm lay that 'chickened out' element that the young lady was quite familiar with.

"Oh, I see…" she said, as realization dawned on her. "This must be Eru's doing!"

Natsu scratched the back of his head and nodded.

"Well yeah…kinda-"

"NATSU DRAGNEEL! COME HERE THIS INSTANCE!" Erza shrieked from her bedroom and it was Natsu's turn to squeal.

"Is she _that _mad?" Levy asked, trembling herself. An infuriated Erza intimidated her as much as she terrified Natsu.

"Yes. Don't ask why, but she is. Only you can handle her right now," Natsu was almost on his knees, pleading with folded hands.

Levy wasn't confident about her ability to fulfill that request, but she decided to give it a shot. She was Erza's close friend, after all. She could handle her if she tried.

"Alright," she said, letting out a shuddering burst of breath. "Follow me."

She took the lead that Natsu was all too grateful to provide. The situation was serious and demanded immediate attention, and he wasn't going to let this opportunity get out of his hands. If Levy hadn't showed up at the moment that she did, he would have been found in one of the gutters next morning.

"Uhm, hi Erza!" Levy ventured, as she stepped into the room where the hungry lioness lay, wheezing madly on her bed.

Erza jerked her head at the sound of that familiar voice. Her expressions softened the moment she laid her eyes on her best girlfriend.

"Levy!" she exclaimed, so enthusiastic about this surprise visit that she forgot all about Natsu and the pending punishment.

Ms. McGarden smiled to herself. _A surprisingly easy victory. _She had definitely underestimated her abilities to pacify an angry Erza. With a wide grin plastered on her face, and some amount of confidence returning to her steps, she bounced forward until her eyes fell on the injured foot and she frowned.

_What had happened here?_

"Eru? What's wrong with your foot?" she inquired, taking a seat next to her friend and examining the injury from all angles.

Erza blushed again at the mention of her twisted ankle and looked sideways at Natsu. She had been waiting for an opportunity to call up Levy and tell her about what all had happened since she had called on the landline number that the young journalist had provided her with. The chance had come to her itself and she could remember nothing that was appropriate for Natsu to hear. Besides, his naivety would not allow him to understand the nuances of her situation and he would probably take it as a joke and tease her about it for the rest of her life. Erza had to share this with someone and Levy was the first person she could think of when it came to letting out her intimate secrets.

A woman-to-woman talk, as one could call it.

"Natsu!" Erza said all of a sudden and the poor male almost jumped out of his skin.

"Go and prepare something for dinner. That will be your punishment."

Natsu blinked in confusion, surprised at how easily he had been let off on this one. Putting aside the fact that he hadn't even learned how to boil water in his life, he decided he would pick up the frying pan today to escape some gruesome casualties that would come his way otherwise.

"Y-yeah sure!" he said, smiling nervously and running off towards the kitchen before Erza had the time to change her mind.

Levy was more than just amused.

"Are you _that_ eager to get food poisoning, Eru?" she asked, recoiling at the thought of eating absolutely anything prepared by Natsu.

"That is not important Levy," Erza said impatiently, grabbing a pillow from her left and hugging it tightly, as she tried to fight back the blush that was making it's way to her cheeks again.

"What is important is _this."_

In a whispered voice, she recollected the happenings of the present day and the day before.

When she was done giving detaila about her rather _peculiar _situation, Levy almost fell off the bed in sheer disbelief.

"Are you _serious_?" she muttered, holding onto the bed-sheet to prevent the fall. Her eyes had expanded to the size of saucers and her breathing came in short, irregular bursts.

Erza nodded gently. It was hard for her to believe it as well, but the coffee mug was still lying unashamedly on the nightstand.

"Holy _cow_!" Levy whispered, her hands covering her mouth as she turned to look at that little coffee mug. She grabbed it with her tender hands and turned it around to examine it carefully.

"_He_ made coffee for you? _Jellal Fernandes _made _coffee_ for you?"

"_Yes _Levy," Erza sighed, shrugging. "I know it's unbelievable and-"

"_Unbelievable_?" shrieked Levy, lunging at her friend and grabbing her shoulders. "This is _outrageous_! _Utterly outrageous_! I mean, Jellal Fernandes…The _Jellal Fernandes _made coffee for you! When do you get a chance like _that_ in life? Heck even I don't, being in the media!"

"Well yeah…but it really does not count for anything. He's just a considerate man."

"Oh of course he is!" exclaimed Levy, sounding impressed.

"Very kind and compassionate. Well, I kinda knew about it. You see, being in the media, I know all about his remarkable personality. But _this _is... _surreal._"

"Unbelievable but true," added Erza, clutching her pillow hard.

Levy's eyes glinted mischievously.

"What if…" she began, a small smirk tugging at her lips. "What if he has fallen for you?"

Erza almost choked on her spit.

"_What rubbish Levy_!" she shot back, gripping the pillow so hard that it almost burst.

"That's not even a remote possibility!"

Levy dismissed her friend's claim with a flick of her hand.

"And, why isn't it possible?" she challenged, absolutely confident about her claim. "You're a young, beautiful woman with a decent job and good IQ. He's a young, handsome, intelligent man, probably looking for a woman as described. He finds you, you help him with his dear sister and bam! He falls for you!" Levy made it sound so incredibly simple that even Erza believed her for a second.

"_No!" _she gasped, the moment she was shaken out of her trance with a strike from something called reality.

"That is _not _possible! You forgot to mention a very important element in this equation! That young, handsome man is an extremely wealthy individual who is at the helm of a gigantic company spinning massive profits every year! He might be looking for women, but not for an ordinary school teacher like me."

"But Erza!" protested Levy. "He might not have an extravagant taste like you assume! He's probably looking for a simple girl. Besides, I don't see him ending up with any rich, social climber types. That kind doesn't suit him."

"We just met Levy! I helped him in the name of humanity! In fact, it was Natsu who found his sister, not me!"

"Love just happens Erza! You don't wait for it to happen! When it happens, it does not look at logic and reasoning. Look at me! Do you ever think I would have fallen for a guy like Gajeel? I mean he's rough, dirty, careless and can never keep his undergarments in the same place. You know how much of a die-hard romantic I used to be back in high school! I always wanted a charming prince on a white horse and look who I fell in love with! No regrets in life! Gajeel is definitely the best thing that happened to me! Similarly, Jellal Fernandez might not go for some rich model or any of that kind. For all we know, he might end up with a simple, down-to-earth, primary school teacher like you!" there was a twinkle in Levy's eyes as she presented her rather elaborate theory. The grin just couldn't get off her lips and her hopes seemed to be soaring pretty high.

Erza flinched as she realized how serious her friend was. She needed to put an end to this because the topic had gone way beyond a point that could have made it seem a little less absurd.

"That is not going to happen, Levy," she said firmly, making it a point to bring some amount of finality in her tone. The message was to be clear; she had had her share of expressing her tumultuous emotions and she wasn't going to proceed any further with the subject.

"Your dream is far-fetched. Something like this can never happen."

Levy pouted but did not reply. The conclusiveness in Erza's tone was fairly evident.

"_And_, you are not going to share this with _anybody,_ Levy. Not even Gajeel. Can I take your word for it?"

A vein popped on Erza's forehead as she visualized what would happen if Redfox got to know about all of this. She could hear his shrill 'Gee-hee' even at such a distance.

"Of course Erza! This is a private matter. In any case, Lucy Fernandez doesn't really have a good reputation in the media circles. For many of my colleagues, she is nothing but a blotch on Mr. Fernandez's smooth, well-garnered reputation."

Erza winced slightly at the mention of that female's name. The image from last night flashed before her eyes; the red, livid eyes of the young lady, her staggering steps, the hatred that she held for her brother and the crashing vase. The shards may have been dusted away, but their presence lingered.

"Why would she do that?" asked Levy, bemused. "I mean, Mr. Fernandez is a fine man. I'm pretty sure he is the same behind the four walls of his mansion. For how long can you pretend to be something that you aren't, after all?"

The same question had been haunting Erza since the incident. It was quite understandable that the episode last night was not an outcome of Ms. Fernandez's drunken stupor. The hatred in her eyes was evidence enough. It was difficult to believe how a man could flash such a magical smile at the world outside when his own home was probably subjected to a torrent of other, not so delighting emotions and energies.

Levy tut-ed loudly and gave the answer to her question.

"Where there is a lot of money Eru, there is a lot of conflict. Even if it means clashing with your own blood. Technically, half blood. Which… makes even more sense now."

Erza nodded in consideration. She had never taken this angle quite seriously before. She had thought about it as one of the reasons for eliciting such a behavior, but she had not realized that this factor alone could be the most detrimental of all other factors that she could have ever considered. After all, the news that Mr. Fernandez and Ms. Lucy were not real siblings, had made headlines quite a few years ago, even when the entire picture had been kept blurred after Mr. Fernandez's quick intervention. Now that Erza thought about it, she wondered if there was something more to that quick intervention than just a desire to avert the prying eyes of the outside world.

"You're right," said Erza. "That might be a reason."

The two females sat in silence for a minute, thinking about the events that had occurred yesterday in this very room. It was funny how a man, who had been the topic of a small discussion after his photo had been discovered on a magazine cover a day before, had become the center of attention in their mundane lives like he had been a part of it all along. The line between fiction and reality had been distorted to such an extent that Erza found it difficult to distinguish between what was real and what was nothing more than a bizarre dream.

For the next five minutes, a ghostly silence had descended upon the two friends who simply stared into space, their minds abuzz with thoughts of a thousand kinds. It was only when a strong, pungent smell wafted into the room and slapped them hard across their faces (and their rapidly deteriorating olfactory senses) that the two were brought back on the ground.

Levy sniffed the air and grimaced.

"Can you smell that?" she asked, as she crinkled her nose in disdain.

Erza took in the smell and coughed. Her eyes darted towards the door from where a cloud of smoke was seeping in through the opening below.

The two looked at each other in horror and screeched, in a perfectly synchronized fashion-

"NATSUUUUUUUU!"

* * *

"Her vitals are amazing, nothing like I have seen before. I have to say, Ms. Lucy has quite the fighting spirit. Her recovery rate is inspirational!"

Jellal Fernandez smiled at the doctor who had just finished doing his regular check-up on his sister. After noting her pulse and reading some reports that the nurse had handed to him, the well-renowned doctor had given the thumbs-up.

"That's very good to hear Dr. Walker. Thank you for your continued assistance."

"No issue, Mr. Fernandez. I have made a prescription for Ms. Lucy. The medication will go on for about a week. That would be enough for her, considering her astounding rate of recovery," the doctor flashed a smile at Lucy who looked away. The resolution she had made a few hours ago was afresh in her mind and she intended to start working on it as soon as possible.

Jellal took the prescription from the doctor and read through it carefully. Then, he turned to look at Gray, who nodded and said to the doctor,

"Come Mr. Walker. I'll accompany you to your car."

The doctor smiled at Gray and followed him out of the room.

Jellal then turned to look at the maids in the room and gave them a silent instruction. The three women nodded in understanding and moved out to leave the siblings alone for some time.

Jellal exercised caution on his part. He knew better than to further unsettle the water that had already been hit by a whirlpool.

He took slow, attentive steps towards Lucy who continued to look out of the window. Her breathing was steady after two days of rugged respiration and her skin seemed to have lost it's paleness. Some amount of blood had returned to her cheeks and the glow of it reflected perfectly in the evening light.

"How are you feeling?" Jellal ventured, keeping his distance from the bed.

Lucy continued to look out without uttering any word in response. For an entire minute, she decided to ignore the question. However, something struck her all of sudden, causing her expression to change slightly and she replied, in a tiny, croaky voice,

"Fine."

Jellal smiled at the somewhat unexpected response. Usually, Lucy would either not reply to the question or break something fragile in her vicinity. This time, neither was the case, which was quite an astonishing thing to happen.

"You'll need to rest for a while Lucy. The doctor said rest is important if you want to make the medicines work."

"I know. You don't need to tell me."

Jellal sighed and began to make his retreat when Lucy interrupted him in the process.

"It's my friend's birthday tonight. I have to be there," she said flatly, her face completely devoid of emotions. "And I don't want Sebasitan tailing me all over the place," she added.

Jellal flinched inwardly. He couldn't say no to his sister but she needed to take rest as her first priority. These kind of moral dilemmas were the main reason he didn't want anybody to have a life like his. The logical and emotional sides of his concern never seemed to reconcile.

"Lucy…well…you need to-"

"I'm not _asking_. I'm _telling_," came the curt reply.

Jellal had no choice but to acquiesce.

"Please take care of yourself. Remember to take your medicines on time," was all he could manage to say in response.

Lucy did not answer. She nodded slightly, giving a closure to their conversation. Her head was titled in the direction of her room door and Jellal understood the gesture. He moved out of the room wordlessly, glad that his sister was back to her old self. From the staircase ahead, he could see Gray coming upstairs, taking two steps at a time.

"She fine?" he asked, his brows furrowed in concern.

Jellal nodded and put an arm around his friend's shoulder.

"She will be fine."

* * *

"You're so dead Natsu."

"Please Levy, I didn't mean to. Save me!"

"I can't help you, my friend. This is out of my hands now!"

"But-"

"Best of luck, mate. May the lord bestow his blessings upon you."

Natsu Dragneel and Levy McGarden stood in the middle of a completely destroyed kitchen; there was flour all over the place, tiles had been painted black with soot and the remnants of a large china bowl with some eerie looking purple liquid were scattered across the floor.

"What were you attempting to make in any case?" Levy asked curiously, examining the disgusting looking liquid that had been sprayed all over the marble tiles.

"I just picked up one of Erza's recipe books and started making it. It was something like…well…uhh…I don't remember," Natsu gave a sheepish grin.

Levy slapped her forehead and attempted to move out of the kitchen, only to be pulled back forcefully by Natsu.

"Where are you off to now? Help me out with this!"

"Do you think I'm crazy? Does it look like I have lost my sanity? I am not dealing with an incensed Erza again!"

Natsu flinched at the thought of facing the dire consequences of his utterly thoughtless (as usual) actions.

"Shit!"

"_What is going on here_?"

Levy and Natsu jumped out of their skins. The lioness had just grunted into their ears.

"Oh! Erza? W-what are you d-doing here? You s-should b-be resting!" was the most intelligent thing that Natsu could come up with to handle the situation.

Erza, who was supporting herself on some kind of a long cane, looked around the kitchen and shot a glare in the direction of the perpetrator. Her precious kitchen had been reduced to this sorry state and this was the second time in a day that something quite messy had happened in here.

"Why you!" she screamed, her hair all over her face.

Natsu squeaked in a girly fashion and hid behind Levy.

"I'm sorry! Sorry! Sorry!" he pleaded, poking his folded palms from Levy's either side in turns.

Erza was in no mood to accept apologies.

"OUT!" she screamed. "Get out if you know what's good for you!"

Natsu did not waste time in doing exactly that. He made a dash for the kitchen door immediately, thanking his lucky stars for not making him a victim of a potentially devastating punishment for the second time in a row. It would take some time for Erza to calm down but she would, eventually. Until then, he had to make sure he didn't come in her line of sight from any direction. When she would calm down, Natsu decided, he would apologize again with the best puppy-eye face that he could manage to pull off.

"Out!" Erza screeched again, as she attempted to give Natsu a smack with the cane on his way out. She took a deep breath once she heard the main door shut.

"That was harsh," Levy commented, feeling pity for the pink-head.

"You're too hard on him sometimes, Eru."

Erza shook her head.

"What if Gajeel did something like that to your precious library?" she asked, knowing beforehand what the answer to her question would be.

Levy felt her blood boil at the very thought of it. "I would…I would castrate him," she hissed, trying not to think about her library in such a disheveled state.

"There you go," said Erza, folding her arms.

"Ah well…let's leave it at that. How are you going to undo the damage?" Levy asked, looking around the kitchen and sighing.

"Don't worry about it. Natsu will do it once he comes back. He owes me the dinner anyway," Erza shrugged.

"Now, if you could help me get back to my room?"

* * *

Natsu Dragneel rushed out of the apartment at a speed which would give even a bullet train some shame. Escaping Erza's wrath was nothing short of a miracle and the heavens had been quite generous today. He thanked his lucky stars as he dashed past the society gate, heading towards his own apartment which was not so far away. He would stay away from Erza for a while; possibly an hour or two, and then come back when she would stop being the smoking kettle that she was right now. He would take home a box or two of pizza with him and bring back that smile on her face.

At least, that was the plan.

Two blocks from Rosewood Apartment, a shambling structure stood unashamedly, the peeling plaster, a glaring insult to the decent looking neighborhood. It is often said that the home reflects the heart of the owner. For Natsu, this was pretty much the case.

And so it was for everybody else who lived within the four walls of this dilapidated structure.

A haunt for the rowdy- twenty somethings of Magnolia, these apartments were famous for a lot of reasons; the eerie and eccentric crowd, the 'flavors of youth', as it was called, the shady, spicy gossip that they would produce for the world to know, among other such things. Considering Natsu's quick ascent in the modeling industry, it was time he considered shifting his 'base of operations'. However, there was no denying the fact that most famous young men in Magnolia were a product of these apartments.

Natsu regarded the half-awake guard wearily as he lowered his pace and dragged his way up the stairs (for the lifts had not been working for the past one week).

"Home sweet home," he mumbled as soon as he opened his apartment door on the second floor, walking straight to his dusty couch and falling unceremoniously onto it. It had been days since he had slept in his own apartment. It was either Erza's or his agent's house that became his companion most of the time, and his little apartment was showing signs of getting rusty from under-use; The curtains were thick with grime, the floor needed some desperate cleaning and a touch of vacuum cleaner, the kitchen was perpetually locked and the bathrooms stunk. It was a kind of place where humans would definitely not want to live and Natsu was much of a lazy ass. This deadly combination meant that the little, run-down apartment was a no-entry zone for much of the outside world.

"Ah Erza. You make me all careless," sighed Natsu, as he kicked off his shoes and placed his socks-clad feet on the table ahead.

It was true. Erza pampered Natsu so much that he didn't even think much about doing anything to his apartment. His meals would automatically be taken care of, and his job required him to move around a lot. This insured that he stayed away from this place for weeks, sometimes months at a stretch.

Thinking about Erza and her fury, Natsu smiled and flinched simultaneously. Smiled, because he kinda liked it when she blew her top off at him, and flinched, because of reasons that don't require an elucidation. This was quite paradoxical, but considering these were relations being talked about here, the complication was understandable and justified. Having never had the privilege of getting a nice scolding form his mother, whose face he did not even remember, Natsu found Erza's scolding quite endearing. It was like an element that filled up a huge chasm in his life. True, there were times when she went overboard with her 'punishments' (Natsu shuddered at the very thought of it), but her actions still added a bit of normalcy to his gypsy-like life.

They had been friends for most of their lives. After a rather hasty introduction in their town's school, where Erza was the class monitor and Natsu, a delinquent assigned to her, they had become the best of friends, combining sweet and sour elements in their unique and unbreakable relationship. Erza's family was particularly fond of Natsu and the latter made sure he made most of this affection. His habit of dropping off at his friend's residence can be traced back to his days in the town, where he would often surprise Mrs. Scarlet by showing up for a pie or two. Natsu never really had a family of his own; his mother died when he was very young (possibly while giving birth to him) and his father had vanished without a trace or letter. Many believed he had perished in one of the wars he fought as a part of the army. No one really knew the truth. The young Dragneel had spent much of his life living with his uncle and adoptive father, running around careless and often being beaten by Erza for his silliness and over-the-top manners. 'The Demolisher' as he was called, Natsu was known for destroying structures and homes with his absent-mindedness and hyperactive behavior. Even in those days, his relationship with Erza had been pretty much the same.

That is why he treasured her ferocious grunts as much as he treasured her smile. He had seen worse; there had been a time when Erza had become a body without a soul. She had ceased to smile and enjoy even the little things in life. Such had been Natsu's desperation that he would deliberately commit menial offenses around her, hoping to get a scolding which he would never get. She had ceased to be the Erza that he had known before; the young, chirpy, strict and goofy Erza that had been his consort through much of his childhood.

Things had started to see the daylight a couple of years back and Natsu had sworn not to look back at those terrible days. He had decided to not take any of those silly punishments for granted and enjoy them while he could. After all, some lessons leave an indelible imprint on people's hearts.

Natsu smiled and looked out of the window. The evening light managed to cut in through the grime on his curtains and came into his living room in a filtered quantity. The light seemed scarlet; the same as the color of Erza's hair, reminding him of their carefree days back in their hometown. As the pleasant images appeared before his eyes, Natsu drifted gently to sleep, a slight snore escaping his lips as his eyelids dropped, weary with fatigue.

The memories continued; one after the other, they appeared like a short film before him, making him swim in an ocean of tranquility.

For an hour or so, Natsu lay like that on his couch, deep in slumber and dreaming about his childhood days. It was not until the skies outside had turned to a darker shade of purple, that he was rudely woken up from his sleep by the constant honking of a car in the street below.

"Whadda fu-" he mumbled as his eyes snapped open. The blaring mother of all ear-splitting devices was still croaking shamelessly from the street, accompanied by voices of some youngsters trying to summon their buddy from the building.

This was an everyday scenario here.

"God these guys can't shut up," cursed Natsu, unnerved by the cacophony. He walked brusquely towards the window and pulled the curtains away to identify the source of the sound. Since his apartment was on the second floor, he would be heard by the troublemakers if he was to shout a curse or two at them.

"Oye! Fuck-off yeah fucktards!" he bellowed as he leaned over the sill, noticing a sleek convertible parked right underneath his window.

"That flashy thing won't do any magic on me," he added.

The four people sitting in the car turned to look at him at once. They seemed rather flashy themselves, all dressed in shimmering costumes, ready for a party. The two females at the back were eyeing Natsu with much indignation while the man at the wheel seemed two seconds away from climbing the building via the pipeline to give Natsu a punch or two. The only one who seemed collected and unfazed by the reprimand was the blonde woman sitting in the passenger seat.

Natsu's breath hitched in his throat as he realized who that blonde actually was.

"_Holy mother of-"_

Eyeing him curiously from her seat, her big chocolate eyes fixed determinedly on his dark ones, was none other than, Lucy Heartfilia Fernandez.

Natsu gulped quite audibly as the steely gaze from the woman below, froze him on the spot. There was something about the way she looked at him that made him feel all nervous and helpless, and it was certainly not in Natsu's nature to feel nervous and helpless.

_It's OK Natsu. You saved her ass yesterday. You have the upper hand here, _he said to himself, but the words had no effect on him. Besides, the kind of look that Lucy Fernandez was giving him suggested that she remembered nothing about the night before.

She eyed him like she would eye a stranger who had dared to ask her to shut up.

The blonde smirked at him and got off the car immediately. There was confidence in her step and pride in the way she carried herself. Despite the plaster that was still cast on her arm and a couple of bandages all over her body, she seemed unfazed and self-assured.

The man who had been giving Natsu a death glare, turned to look at Lucy with concern.

"Let it be Lu. These freaks don't know their position. One smack on his face and he would go sprawling on the floor. You don't need to deal with these peasants."

The two girls at the back nodded in agreement.

"Andre is right Lucy. Leave it be. Let's wait for Philip and get going once he gets us the deal."

Natsu's nostrils flared at the other three ass-licking idiots. He could feel the need to jump off the ledge and set them straight; let them know their position for honking constantly under his window and then behaving like they owned the place. However, something seemed to be stopping him from within; an unknown force that mellowed him as much as it fuelled his rage.

Lucy Fernandez raised her hand to squash her friends' protests and took rapid steps towards the building. The man at the wheel jumped off the car in that instant.

On the second floor, Natsu could smell another scandal brewing.

* * *

"So, you just let her go? Just like that? Are you out of your mind?"

"I couldn't say no. She talked to me properly after so long. Maybe, she wants some normalcy in our relationship."

"She's a cunning woman. She's taking advantage of this very fact that you can't help but give in to her whims and fancies."

"I refuse to believe that Gray. She just wants to feel better after the accident. If she thinks her friends can help her out with that, I am no one to interfere."

"So, you just let her go when you know she hasn't even gotten those bandages off her? Jelly dear, you're too soft-hearted for your own good."

Gray stood fuming near the study-room window, appalled by what he had just heard from his friend. Jellal had done it again.

He had given in to his sister's rather persuasive tendencies.

"Not that she wasn't spoiled enough already."

"For the umpteenth time Gray, it's _not _her fault."

"It's not _yours_ either."

This conversation was much of a routine between the two friends. The same topic would be touched upon every time Jellal decided to act like the overly-generous big brother that he was.

"Look Jelly," said Gray, grabbing his forehead in exasperation.

"I know you are trying to make certain…well, _amends. _But that does not mean you ought to make things even more _difficult _for her in the process. It's not like you have never fulfilled any of her wishes before. You have always managed to put her dreams before your own. But, you also ended up exposing that vulnerable side of yours to her. She knows how to get things done from you, and it doesn't take her much time and effort to get what she wants. You have to understand that."

Jellal did not reply. Somewhere deep down, he knew Gray was right. Everything that he said was not unknown to him and he wasn't a fool to think otherwise. But, he still couldn't do anything about it. He was helpless and paralysed in this regard.

"You do know what I'm saying is right, don't you, Jellal? Then why don't you do something about it? Why don't you act? You know she isn't doing any good to her life. It's a big mess already. Your job should be to take her out of this mess, not push her further into it."

"And what do you reckon I should do?" asked an equally exasperated Jellal, falling into his chair.

"Learn to say no for a start," Gray suggested.

"Do you think that's easy?"

"It isn't, I agree," said Gray, nodding. "But a humble beginning has to be made somewhere."

"Do you think that this beginning won't affect the already fragile relationship that I have with Lucy? That _if _I was to make an effort in this direction, it wouldn't create a deeper divide that will intensify with time?"

Gray was no philosopher and he knew there was a kernel of truth in his friend's claim. Knowing well, the complicated relationship between the siblings, a prod in the wrong spot would prove detrimental.

"_You_ see what I mean now, don't you, Gray? The situation that we are in right now requires steps taken from Lucy's side, not mine. I have already made things worse for the both of us. Everything's in her hands now. If she wishes to put a step forward, I'll do the same on my end."

Gray threw his hands up in surrender. There was no way he could sound a tiny bit more optimistic now; not when his best friend was hell bent on throttling all positive feelings and hopes in this troubled relationship. If he had finally decided to not let _anybody_ intervene in his matters, he was going to stay put and observe from a distance until desperate measures were required.

* * *

It didn't take Lucy a minute to arrive at Natsu's apartment door and knock it a little too gently. For a few seconds, Natsu could hear her guy friend argue with her over this move, but the tussle ended the moment Lucy raised her voice and asked the man to 'mind his own fucking business'.

"_Here we go," _Natsu muttered to himself.

He put on his best smile and walked confidently towards the door. He wasn't going to let some spoilt brat take the better of him, especially when he had saved her precious million dollar ass just a day ago.

With a confidence that could rival the blonde's, Natsu opened his door and braced his hands against the frame, striking a pose which made it seem like he owned the place.

"What's it?"

Lucy Fernandez smirked again and thrust her clutch into the reluctant and shaking hands of her friend. The guy held onto it immediately, not failing to give Natsu a disdainful look in the process.

"Y-You!" he grunted. "How dare you talk to Lucy like that? Don't you know who she is?"

Natsu paid no attention to the man. His eyes were fixed on the woman herself. She seemed to be ignoring her friend as well.

"I think I asked you to shut up Andre," she said sternly, never letting that smirk get off her lips.

The guy named Andre sewed his lips almost immediately.

Natsu cleared his throat very loudly and returned the smirk. He wasn't going to lose to this lass.

"Any problem?" he asked in a carefree manner, curling his right hand into a fist and banging gently on the door.

Lucy raised a brow and leered, "_Problem_?"

Her eyes travelled all over Natsu's body in mild interest. They took in everything about it; the structure, build, clothes etc. Her expressions hardly changed as she scrutinized the male, but her smirk definitely grew wider.

"You are…something Dragonel, I believe?" she said, after she was done with her inspection.

Natsu was surprised. He had no idea how she knew his name, rather had a little _idea _about his name.

"It's Natsu Dragneel," he corrected.

"Yeah, whatever," Lucy said, clicking her tongue impatiently. "The _point_ is," she paused for a minute.

"You look familiar."

She came an inch closer to Natsu and tried to study his face.

Natsu flinched a little. She probably remembered bits from last night after all.

"You work for Stevan, don't you?"

Natsu seemed confused for a moment. Considering the suddenness of that question, he couldn't remember where he had heard that name before.

"The new Heart Kreuz model," sneered Lucy, giving the fake impression of being enthralled.

The man named Andre snorted.

"_He _works for Heart Kreuz?" he sneered. "Stevan seems to be losing his touch."

Natsu's insides burned in indignation. The hand that had clenched into a fist, left the door and grabbed the man's collar.

"You have some cheek bub, coming up to _my_ door and _trying _to act all cool in front of your _boss. _I think both of us know how incapable you are of accomplishing any of the tasks you mentioned before in your car," a slight push from Natsu was enough to send the man staggering half-way across the corridor. Lucy's clutch went flying in the air and tumbled down the staircase, out of sight.

The owner of that clutch performed a slow clap.

"Amazing, Mr. Dragonel-"

"Dragneel."

"-Yes Mr. Dragneel. You have guts. I have to applaud you for that," she took a few steps towards Natsu and clapped right in front of his face. Her hands were inches away from his nose.

For a woman who had seemed dead just a day before, she sure looked lively.

"What do you want, miss?" asked Natsu, turning his attention to the lady whose nose was just a finger's distance away from his. They were so close that they could feel each others breath on their faces.

"You seem familiar," Lucy repeated, completely ignoring the question. "Seems like we...met yesterday."

Natsu suppressed a chuckle. That was pretty much a bull's eye.

"Maybe," he said, shrugging. "Maybe, we _did_ meet yesterday."

For a second, the grin on Lucy's face vanished and her features were marred by confusion. She seemed uncertain because her memory was playing tricks on her.

"What do you mean?" she asked, narrowing her eyes slightly.

Natsu shrugged again.

"You should have the answer," he said rather nonchalantly. He could see the tables turning. Whatever had been Ms. Fernandez's plan, it did not seem to be working well.

"Stop troubling Lucy!" interrupted Andre, as he recovered from the blow. However, the poor thing never had the chance to do anything constructive for he was shoved away again, this time so hard that he tumbled down a flight of stairs.

"Don't act too cocky Dragonel. Stevan is a good friend. Unless you don't want to shift from this hellhole," she pointed at the walls around her. "You better know how to talk properly to a lady."

Natsu pretended to not have any care in the world.

Often, his pretensions were pretty close to how he actually felt about something.

"As expected out of somebody who has _resources_. That's quite the standard threat that you can give me," he scoffed, surprising the blonde.

Lucy seemed pretty taken aback, but she held her ground.

"You're an interesting fellow," she said, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. "The first to talk so _coolly _to me. Seems like you really don't know who I am."

Natsu smirked again.

"Ah well…I _do _know who you are, right, Ms. Lucy Heartfilia Fernandez, rich brat and heiress to the Fernandez empire?"

Something changed in the way the blonde looked at Natsu at the mention of her full name. Her shoulders stiffened all of a sudden, and her brown irises almost turned black. The transformation was so quick that it made it seem like the blonde had been sporting that expression for a long time now.

"Lucy _Heartfilia_," she spat. "_That's_ _it,"_ her tone was coated with venom and she seemed to be controlling a surge of anger that caused her fists to shake and her knuckles to turn white.

Scenes from last night flashed before Natsu's eyes. That had been the look she had given to her brother when he had tried to help her.

Tch. Rich brats.

"That's the last time you call me by that name," hissed Lucy, stressing on each syllable.

Natsu snorted lightly. "And, what gives you the idea that I'm going to meet you again?"

"You work for Stevan. I'll never forget that," Lucy replied immediately, the smirk still not back on her lips.

"That's actually a very good way to say you would like to meet me again."

With every retort, Natsu fell more into the _game._ He was starting to love this conversation. Suddenly, all rules were forgotten and all memories, pushed to the background. It was just him and her, in a dirty corridor, countering attacks or throwing some.

Lucy's eyebrows shot into her hairline, her expression remaining constant. The only regret Natsu had was that all the people living on that floor seemed to be absent from their homes. A commotion and some drama would have been a good propellant.

"The Heart Kreuz contract seems to have gone way above your head Mr. Dragonel-"

"Dragneel."

"- But despite the standard_ness _of my threat, you should never forget that your career is wrapped around my little finger," she lifted the said finger to emphasize upon her words "-and that I can snap it anytime I find appropriate," with an imaginary scissor in her right hand, she pretended to cut the thread around her little finger.

"Owiiieee," Natsu said dramatically, scrunching his eyebrows and nose to make it look like he was in deep pain.

"I'm scared."

"You _should_ be."

Like bulls that had seen red, the two stood inches apart from one another, breathing heavily into each others faces. Lucy Heartfilia's facial expression reeked of arrogance and pride, but she did not bother to pull her lips back into that jeering smile again. Something about the way the male _looked _at her didn't seem right; she couldn't tell what, but some sort of an unplaced emotion exuded from those dark eyes- an emotion that does not complement an acquaintanceship of five minutes. A piece seemed to be missing from the puzzle, and Lucy Heartfilia was not going to sit back while she let the man have fun with that mysterious piece of information that she was unaware of.

Then, as if she had been struck by lightning, she remembered that half of her memories from the day before had been completely erased. Something told her that this man had been a part of that chasm that she had still not managed to fill; a probable piece of a puzzle that she had been struggling to finish internally.

Thinking about that one person who could help her out with the jigsaw, she took a step back and decided to solve the burning mystery herself. Casting one last glance at a mildly bewildered Natsu, she scooted off in the direction of the staircase without a word or warning.

"Hey! Miss Heartfilia?" Natsu called out to her retreating figure, taken aback by this sudden reaction. At a time when he had thought she would say or do something interesting, she had decided to run away without any explanation or jest. There was something outlandish about this and Natsu couldn't quite place it.

Had she remembered what had happened last night? Or, had she known it all along and was pretending to act indifferent? He could not tell.

And as Lucy Heartfilia dashed down two flights of stairs, leaving a dizzy Andre to fend for himself on the second floor landing, Natsu wondered if this really was the last time that they had met.

* * *

Driving at a breakneck speed, Lucy tried to ignore the blaring pain in her head and the unnerving shriek of the two bimbos in the backseat as she tried to focus on the road ahead. Thankfully, she had decided to take a route that generally didn't have much traffic. If the case would have been otherwise, she might have run into a pedestrian or a car without fail.

"Luuuuucyy!" squeaked one of the backseat passengers, her hands gripping the seat on her either side. "I think you should slow down a bit."

Ignoring the comment, Lucy hit the accelerator hard, maneuvering her way back to the mansion. She was not the kind to let some questions go unanswered; especially when those questions concerned her. That nagging feeling had still not disappeared, and she had never been in favour of such unsettling emotions taking the better of her.

As the gateway to her mansion appeared over the horizon, Lucy made the car burst into a chain of honks, alerting the guard and demanding him to open the gate at once. The poor man, who was well aware of his madam's infamous temper, yelped and threw open the gate in time to let the speeding car enter the perimeters of the Fernandez mansion. With a loud screech that was enough to shake some trees nearby, Lucy made the car come to a shuddering halt right before the mansion doors, jumping off the vehicle and bursting into the house at once.

"Jellal! I need a word," she demanded, walking briskly towards the study-room on the ground floor where her _brother _was having a nice chat with his best friend, that Fullbuster guy.

"What happened last night?" she asked, throwing the door open and storming into the room. "I had gone for a party. I don't remember anything after that. Tell me, _now_."

Jellal was taken aback. Not only had he _not_ expected his sister to come bursting into the room when she was supposed to be at a friend's birthday party, he had not expected her to ask anything about last night. Even Gray seemed stunned.

"Lucy, is everything fine?" Jellal asked, his tone teeming with concern. For her to come running back to the mansion and ask about last night, something serious must have happened.

Lucy clicked her tongue impatiently.

"Cut the crap and come to the point," she said, bracing one hand against a nearby table and placing the other on her waist. The wound on her right leg had started to throb after all that pressure she had applied on it while running.

Jellal regarded his sister with uncertainty in his eyes. He noticed the way she tried to push her weight onto her left leg, flinching whenever the angle went wrong.

"You're in pain, Lucy. Shall I get something-"

"I don't have time for that!" Lucy cut in sharply, trying to keep her anger at bay. Getting the information was more important than launching a tirade against her brother at the moment. "Tell me about last night."

Jellal turned to look at Gray who nodded slightly, his eyes regarding the blonde warily.

"Alright then," Jellal whispered, taking a deep breath to clear his thoughts. If he delayed this any further, Lucy was bound to lose her temper.

"You left the party, sometime near midnight yesterday," he began. "You were drunk and your wounds were troubling you. After coming out of the club, you kept walking down the road for some time. Eventually, your condition took the better of you and you fainted in the middle of the road. Luckily, you were found by a Good Samaritan who took you back to his friend's place where they kept you comfortably till the time I arrived to get you back."

Lucy drew in a sharp breath as some bits of the forgotten memory came back to her. With the story laid bare before her, she could see extracts of isolated instances swirling before her eyes. It was not until she vaguely remembered a tuft of pink hair that she started, and asked the question that she had been itching to ask all this while.

"What is the name of this _Good Samaritan?"_

Jellal smiled gently as he remembered the faces of those two individuals who had saved him along with his sister. His tone reflected nothing short of reverence when he said the name of his sister's savior.

"His name is Natsu Dragneel."

* * *

**A/N: I wonder what Lucy's gonna do now? Hmmmmmmm….if you're wondering what Lucy was doing in such a run-down place...well, she was there to grab the means to get stoned. Yup. Rave parties and the like.**

**About the late update…well, a lot problems and projects had embattled me; I had my semester finals last month and I couldn't find the time to write anything. But, everything's fine now and I'm pretty high on Jerza**_**ness,**_** as I call it,thanks to episode 154. Yup, that's why I am coming up with these crazy ideas and projects, one of which is up here on the site. The story's called, "Wedding Bells Inc.' You can check it out and leave reviews if you like it. :D**

**Thanks to all of those who reviewed, liked and decided to follow my story. You guys make life worth living! :D**


	11. Interventions

**I know it's kinda late, but Happy New Year! And, Happy first chapter for the new year!**

**I definitely don't own Fairy Tail. I wouldn't have been writing this otherwise.**

* * *

**-CHAPTER ELEVEN-**

**Interventions**

* * *

It took approximately three days for Erza to get back on her feet without a flinch. Considering that Levy had practically not allowed her to her put too much strain on her feet and made Natsu run errands instead, Erza was back to being in fine fettle. Apart from the burnt toasts that they were often forced to eat as a result of Natsu's life-threatening culinary skills, Erza had not faced much problems during the recuperation period.

However, on the second and third day of the healing process, an _occurrence_ made her forget about her injury and float in her dream space for the entirety of the two days.

Jellal Fernandez called to check up on her condition.

It had been a regular afternoon where she'd been lecturing Natsu for not picking up the toilet seat after using the bathroom, when her mobile phone had rung. Looking up at the unknown number, Erza did not have an inkling as to who was on the other end of the line. Casually, she'd picked up the call, expecting it to be either the customer-care experts, giving new talk-time offers, or some parent who had managed to get their hands on the teacher's number for a one-to-one on their child's performance in class. Never had she known that it was Fiore's richest man, trying to get through to her in order to inquire about her health.

"Hello?"

"_Uhm…Good Evening Ms. Scarlet. How's your ankle? Do you feel better?"_

"Who's this?"

There had been a pause on the other end, and it'd seemed that the person had been trying to curse himself for not coming up with a better introduction.

"_I'm sorry to have started off without introducing myself."_

Erza's heart had begun to pound terribly as soon as she'd recognised the deep and gentle voice. How could she have not placed it in the first attempt? The voice was remarkably gentle to have been anyone else's but his.

"Mr. Fernandez?" she had gasped into the receiver, a thousand questions raiding her peace. For a second, she'd wondered how the man had managed to find her number when she'd realised that she'd called up on his land-line a few days back.

"_Ah…yes_."

For an entire minute, both participants of the telephone conversation had been unnaturally silent, not even letting the sound of their breathing be heard over the receiver. When the lull had become too uncomfortable to handle, Jellal Fernandez had decided to take the necessary initiative.

"_How's your ankle?"_

"It's fine. Absolutely fine. Perfit…No, _perfect,_ I mean…I meant I'm in good condition…I feel better," Erza had attempted to give a simple, to the point response, but unfortunately, she'd only managed to come up with some gibberish that even she couldn't have had the skill to understand.

"_I see," _the man had breathed into the receiver, sounding relieved. "_It's good to hear that you're doing well Ms. Scarlet. I wish you luck for your future endeavours and pray that you remain in good health."_

In the absence of an ideal response to such a well-meaning wish, Erza had simply muttered a hurried 'thank-you', before coming up with a lame excuse to cut the phone. Soon after she had disconnected the line, she had cursed herself for even attempting to run away from the conversation like an idiot. Glaring at an eager Natsu, who had been trying to listen to what the man on the other end had been saying, Erza had taken out all of her frustration on the pink-head by aiming a nice punch on his face.

Unfortunately, her resolve to make things appear a little better, if she were to ever find herself in such a situation again, had been brushed under the carpet when Jellal Fernandez had called for the second time, the next day.

It had been the same conversation all over again.

It was funny how _both _individuals had been subjected to similar emotions and social-handicaps, if we can use the term for our purposes, whenever they had attempted to initiate a normal conversation between them. Even for the half minute that they would talk to each other over the phone, they would succumb to a discomfited silence over taking the initiative to have a normal conversation. The incident that had occurred in Erza's kitchen, seemed to have never stopped shadowing their every movement and thought.

"Erza, I'm telling you," Levy McGarden declared on the fourth day, as Erza attempted to get ready for school. She had finally been given the nod by the doctor, and she wasn't going to let even a single day go to waste. She had already missed three working days because of her injury.

"That man…he feels something for you."

Erza rolled her eyes and searched for some important files in her drawer.

"Concern, from a humanitarian point of view," she said, looking through some old documents.

"You know I wasn't going to say that."

"Yes. That's precisely why I stopped you from going any further with your absurd claims and presented you with the truth."

Levy folded her arms and pouted.

"Not fair," she said. "You don't let my creative self soar any higher than that."

"I daresay Levy," Erza said, suddenly serious. "But that creative self of yours has quite a few _dangerous _propositions that I would like to steer clear from at the moment."

Levy's cheeks puffed up again. "Alright! Alright!" she said, pretending to look away in anger with a loud 'hmph'.

Erza allowed herself to smile at that and went over to pull her best female friend's cheeks.

"But, I've to admit," she said, passing her a warm smile. "You're too cute."

"And _I'_ve to admit," Levy added with a smirk. "That you're a terrible topic changer."

For the three days that Levy had decided to stay back to look after her friend, she had come up with this _issue _a countless times. It would start off in a similar fashion; with light insinuations and _examples based on ground reality, _as the petite woman put it, and would go on to build imaginary cases and scenarios that seemed nothing but outrageous. After all, people with a creative side to themselves and the gift of gab seem to take imagination to new, undiscovered heights.

"Al least, I don't come up with surreal suggestions."

"This is _not _surreal."

"When someone says that a billionaire has fallen for a primary school teacher he met just a couple of days ago, it doesn't sound anything short of surreal to me."

"You're a pessimist, that's why."

"I would rather call myself a realist. Besides, Levy, I'm not looking for love in life. I have…other concerns," Erza tried to push a particularly disturbing memory to the back of her mind as she attempted to explain her situation to her friend. It wasn't like Levy didn't know about her past and her reasons for coming to a big city like Magnolia. She came to know about it eventually, after several attempts at emotional blackmailing and prying. She couldn't have let Erza live without opening her heart to ease the pain that she had locked within herself after that heart-wrenching event in her life. Despite knowing everything about her circumstances, Levy had never restrained herself from thinking about possible ways to alleviate Erza's stress, even if her methods were a bit _questionable._

"I don't want you to start with that again," said the petite woman, her voice turning into a grim whisper, which was quite unusual for a chirpy individual like her.

"I don't want to, either," said Erza, even more sombre. "I'm just trying to make a point, that's it."

"Point duly noted," Levy said immediately, unwilling to go back to square one with Erza's past on the line. She had no intentions of letting her friend have a nice rendezvous with the very memories that she tried hard to avoid every day.

"Thank you."

School that day, seemed unnaturally silent and _different _to Erza. Normally, she would be in her best mood around the kids, thinking about the most beautiful things in life and flashing her best smile. She would forget about everything else in life; her past, her circumstances and her pain. She would giggle with the kids, teach them the essentials of grammar and history, hold their hands when they would attempt to draw a tree or the mountains, and wave a rather lively good bye at them whenever they would leave for home at two every day. Despite the institution's tendency to make her feel good on any normal occasion, something in her own mind, in her own conscious, prevented Erza from paying much attention to the copies that she was checking during lunch time in the Teachers' Lounge.

"Good afternoon, Erza," Bisca Connell, the mathematics teacher greeted, as she took her seat next to Erza with a cup of steaming coffee in her hands. "It sure has been a very tiring day. Three classes in a row and thirty exercise books to check. How's it going for you?"

Erza continued to stare at the notebook before her eyes, attempting to draw circles on it with her pen.

"Erza?" Bisca Connell placed her free hand on the redhead's shoulder and shook her slightly. "Are you OK?"

Erza snapped out of her trance and turned to look at her colleague.

"Wha- oh Bisca," she took a deep breath as her nose picked the strong scent of coffee.

"Are you not feeling well today?" the math teacher inquired, sounding worried.

Erza applied some pressure on the pen she was holding and turned to look at the copy that she had been checking.

"I'm fine," she lied, trying not to take in the aroma of the coffee. For some indiscernible reason, the fragrance that she adored otherwise, seemed to make her feel nauseous at the moment.

"You sure?" Bisca pressed, not convinced by the answer one bit. Considering that her colleague's eyes were not staring at anything in her close proximity, she had a reason to not believe her at all.

"Yes. Pretty much," Erza tried to emphasise on her point by speedily cheeking five pages in a go.

"Alright."

The mathematics teacher went back to sipping her coffee, thinking it to be the best thing to do when the aggrieved herself was not in the mood to talk about the source of her distress. Instead, she turned to look at her own bunch of exercise books that were threatening to snatch her sleep. She had almost decided to pick up her pen and get going with her work, when she was suddenly reminded of some important news that she'd intended to share with her friend in the first place.

"Did you hear about the new convention that the Fiore Education Board is coming up with?" she asked, sounding thrilled.

Erza cocked an eyebrow.

"Not really."

"Hmmmm…I don't blame you. They haven't come out with the circulars yet. I happened to have been a part of a meeting where this was discussed as a side topic."

"What kind of convention?" with something promising to be a distraction from her rather disturbed chain of thoughts, Erza decided to jump into the conversation with eager ears, trying to focus her attention on the Fiore Education Board and it's year-round activities.

"It's the prestigious Teachers' Training Convention. The board has been contemplating it for a couple of years and they've finally been given the green signal. They're planning to do it in Era this time."

"Teacher training Convention?" Erza asked, slightly surprised. "I thought they only had those little workshops that we've been attending for a couple of years."

"That's the difference this year," Bisca chimed, tapping her fingers excitedly on the table. "They're planning to come up with a massive meet that will allow us to be a part of a three day programme in Era. There will be workshops and panel discussions on various issues related to the Education Board, and we'll also be asked to give solutions to some major problems concerning the board in general. Then, they've a special programme planned out. Some sort of a demo for the new Technological Interface System that they're coming up with for the purpose of better and effective classroom teaching."

"Oh." Erza nodded vigorously.

"That's not the best part of this programme, though," Bisca continued, a wide grin spreading across her lips. "The organizers are a big game this time and that's going to make all the difference."

"Really?" Erza had begun to develop a fair amount of interest in the topic at this point. Sure she had a lot of problems to deal with, but certain aspects of her profession were just as much demanding.

Bisca took the last sip of her coffee and placed the mug on the table with a loud thud. The enthusiasm seemed to be oozing out of her smile which stretched from ear to ear.

"Yes. That's the reason why they're making it all glam this year. Multiple conventions, fun games, talks and conferences; you name it and they'll have it."

"And, who're these mysterious, resourceful organisers?"

Bisca Connell gave a triumphant smile, making it look like she knew her answer would be of particular interest to her friend.

"The Fernandez Group of Industries, of course!"

* * *

For the first time in Lucy Fernandez's life, a pen seemed to have attracted her undivided attention for more than five minutes. With the object held gingerly in her hands and a frown etched upon her face, Lucy sat facing her bedroom window, noticing every little detail that her eyes could help her discern.

For the past four days, she had been in a very peculiar state of mind; a state in which she would often fly off to her dream world without much of a reason and remain in that space for large periods of time. In the four days after her encounter with the _Good Samaritan, _Lucy had spent much of her time gazing at the ceiling of her room, or picking up her car keys to wander down empty lanes and roads. Often, she would come to a halt before the Heart Kreuz office and gaze at the building as if it was some architectural marvel. Despite the availability of several resources, she had never attempted to reach out to the source of her distress. She had maintained her distance and had never bothered to go up to the man with whom she had a showdown, five days ago. There were times when they would almost come face to face; considering the man's quick ascent in the modelling industry, he had become much of a star in Central Magnolia- the hub for all the glamour and glitz that belonged to the city. He was often talked about for his natural charm, and Lucy would frequently be a reluctant participant of conversations that were essentially a referendum on the new model's charms. Being a part of that circle which merged with the glamour fraternity, Natsu Dragneel had pretty much become a part of Lucy's life- if not directly.

Considering, the perpetual availability of occasions to run into the pink-haired man in the five days after their meeting, Lucy Heartfilia had tried her best to stay away and observe from the shadows. Many a times, she had observed his shoots from a distance, noticing his every move like he was a personal threat to her safety. She would ask her friends about him; basic questions that could help her understand the nature of the man who had saved her a couple of days ago. Ever since their little bout in his apartment, Lucy had never considered confronting him even once; there was something that stopped her from doing so and made her think about the man, day in and day out. It was strange how a person, who had seemed so detestable while asking _her_ to shut up from his apartment window, had suddenly become a rather intriguing subject for Lucy. Not that she was suddenly enchanted by his charms, as her friends put it for her. There was something more to this state of mind than just a tiny amount of respect for a life that she owed to him.

Looking at the pink coloured pen, Lucy tried to think about what she had felt when she had first seen that shade of colour in the darkness of the street. She had been in pain, utterly inebriated and at the verge of losing consciousness. She had assumed that she would lie there, undetected and unprotected, until her time would finally come to an end. She could not see her surroundings; everything around had been a dark shade of grey and purple. Lying defenseless on the street, her vision playing tricks on her, Lucy Heartfilia had begun to see flashes of her life before her eyes; a playback of her memories that she thought was the last moment of a cursed life. Many emotions had swirled within her heart; hatred, regret, helplessness and love. In that moment when everything seemed to have revolved around a focal point; a point where all her memories and emotions had converged, a voice in the dark had pulled her back. Like a new lease in life, it had cut through the shades of grey around her and brought that much needed ray of sunlight through the gathered clouds. And, all of this had happened within a minute; that little amount of time within which the man had darted towards her and held her in his arms to know if she was fine.

Thinking back to that time, Lucy felt nothing but amazed at the manner in which certain events had unfolded in the past few days. Despite the ton of acquaintances around her- for friends is a very strong word to describe the people in her life- Lucy had never gone beyond mere acknowledgement with any individual. Despite a few _flings_ in the past, intimacy had never been a concern, even in the presence of several nasty rumours that were occasionally spread to tarnish her reputation. Not that she cared much; Lucy Heartfilia Fernandez had never been the kind to give a damn about chinwags of any sort. She knew she was at the helm of power and none of those gossip mongers had the balls to say anything to her face. Therefore, content in the knowledge of this situation, she often decided to stay put and not intervene much when such issues arose. After all, some things never changed, no matter how hard you tried to introduce any kind of a difference.

Turning the pen carefully in her hands, Lucy noticed how oddly similar the shade was to her _saviour's _hair colour. Letting out a chuckle for no apparent reason, Lucy shook her head and dropped the pen into a nearby pen-stand.

"_Damn. What have you reduced me to, Natsu Dragneel?"_

* * *

Erza Scarlet couldn't believe her luck. Or, lack of thereof. Failing to comprehend the difference between the two in a situation that demanded a lucid elucidation of events, it became increasingly difficult for her to think straight. It was one of those peculiar moments when you didn't know if you were supposed to laugh or sulk. Add to the mixture, a constant ingredient that never failed to make it's presence felt; a name that had stuck to her as if she had been dipped in glue.

Grabbing the door handle rather fiercely, Erza crossed her threshold half-heartedly, not even bothering to derail her thought process to greet an overly enthusiastic Levy. With a stale and forced smile flashed in her direction, Erza slipped out of her bellies and trundled her way to the bedroom. Natsu, who had been hogging as usual, looked up from where he lay on the couch, an eyebrow cocked up.

"What's up with her?"

Levy shrugged.

"Dunno."

Throwing her handbag into some forgotten section of the room, Erza slumped into her bed, massaging the ankle that had been injured four days back. Back at the door, Levy and Natsu peeked into the room.

"Should we go talk to her?" asked the pink-head, concern pulling his brows together.

"Let's leave her be for a while. If things don't get any better, we'll make a move."

Nodding like two young soldiers on an important mission, the two tiptoed their way back into the drawing room, hoping their friend would regain her composure soon enough. Inside the room, things didn't seem to be getting rosier.

Erza caught a strand of her hair and played with it for a while. Twirling the curl around her fingers, she aimlessly looked out of her bedroom window, her eyes following the birds that flew outside. Why was it that she behaved in such a manner? It wasn't like the sponsors of some educational convention could immediately affect her life. Hell, she hadn't even been chosen for the damn thing yet. Plus, this was a strictly professional matter and she ought to feel a little more excited about it. Conventions were those rare occasions when teachers like her could relax, meet people of their kind and express their shared grievances. However, due to certain circumstances that had made their presence felt over the past few days, Erza was forced to look at the _deeper _side of things.

Of course, it wasn't the convention that bothered her. Rather, the manner in which its prospective organisers had become such an _integral _part of her life, had her behave in such a peculiar, distant fashion. It would be wrong to say that Erza Scarlet was nervous or afraid of this predicament; the redhead was not someone who could be easily bothered by something as seemingly trivial as this. Being competitive in nature, a part of her wished that she would be selected for the program; a prestigious convention such as the upcoming one would be a shame to miss. However, the other side of the coin seemed to have made her falter in her steps.

Why was it that the name had suddenly become such an overbearing presence in her life? A couple of days back, Erza Scarlet couldn't even have imagined that her life would give her such a drastic break and take her in an unexpected direction. The name that now haunted her had been just another name; albeit, a little more extraordinary than other names, considering the _popularity _of the person concerned. She had been discussing him like she would discuss any famous personality who had been on the cover page of a well-known magazine. She had assumed that would possibly be the only thing she would do about the gentleman; discuss him.

Not meet him in some fancy restaurant, have him come over to her place for a cup of tea, make him carry her to her bedroom and tend to her foot, and receive an unexpected call from the same gentleman regarding his concerns for her injured ankle.

This was more than what even a person like her could handle; a person who had somehow managed to cut through dire problems in life with the sheer force of her will.

Taking a deep breath and trying to relax her stiff shoulders, Erza attempted to collect her thoughts. A lot had been happening in her life of late and she clearly didn't want any of it to disturb her simple, sober life. She had enough problems to last her a lifetime and she didn't want a potent one to dictate her the terms.

If she could look at it as a potent problem, that is.

At the end of the day, the supposed _dangerous _problem looked more like a sudden twist of fate that made everything seem hazy, yet exhilarating.

However, even exhilarating seemed an understatement in this scenario.

"Alright Erza," the redhead muttered to herself, inhaling deeply. "Don't think too much about it. This is just a coincidence. _Just_ a coincidence," trying to think about the positives of being selected for a prestigious convention (if she were to ever make the cut) Erza tried not to pay much attention to the other side of the issue. She had never cared much about the greater scheme of things, so she decided to stay that way for the best.

However, if things would have ever been a little more comprehensive than she attempted to make them seem, she would've gotten over a _lot_ of troubles, old and new, in the past few days.

* * *

It was not often that Gray Fullbuster expressed his _contentment_. Two days from his sixth wedding anniversary, the gentleman had decided to devote his time solely to party planning. Now, a lot of Mr. Fullbuster's associates would have fainted, had they seen the man making lists after lists of designs for several hall decoration patterns. After all, party planning would be the last thing on the raven-haired man's mind on a normal occasion. Putting his work aside for the moment and ceasing to think about any of his _other _grand schemes, Gray Fullbuster had committed himself solely to the above mentioned task. Sitting in his office, going through documents of things that had nothing to do with his actual job, Gray scrunched his eyebrows as he noticed a slight irregularity in the financial reports. Making a quick call to the caterers to get it corrected, Gray screamed over the phone for a good five minutes, before finally minimising the screen on his window and sinking deeper into his chair. The preparations were almost done.

"Excuse me sir, you've a visitor," said the secretary, peeking tentatively into the cabin. Having heard her boss scream over the phone, she was nothing but terrified at approaching him so soon after the conversation had ended.

"Who's it?" Gray asked, letting out a deep breath and grabbing his forehead in exasperation. It sure had been a long day for him.

"Mr Fernandez."

A smile tugged at the corner of Gray's lips. He looked up at the nervous looking woman and said, "You're new here so I'll explain this to you. This is not how it works, 'kay? Jellal's my friend. You don't make him wait outside to take my consent. Let him barge in at any given point in time. Do I make myself clear?"

The secretary gulped despite the rather equable tone in which her boss had given her the instruction. "Y-yes, sir." She stammered with a nod and retreated instantly to get the visitor.

"How's it going, my friend?" Gray smirked, as his best friend walked in through the door, looking equally exhausted.

"Good." He said, although his expressions said otherwise.

"Have been stressing yourself of late, huh?"

"Look who's talking."

The two friends looked at each other for a moment and chuckled.

"How are the preparations going?" asked Jellal, taking his seat and grabbing a paper weight to fiddle with.

"Great. I seemed to have surpassed my own expectations."

"I'm pretty sure it's going to be an amazing one. You've planned it, after all."

Gray pretended to pat himself on the back for his achievement. "I've to agree with you on that."

Jellal smiled and turned his attention to the paper weight in his hands. Turning it around in his fingers, he observed it carefully for a minute before his friend broke him out of his trance.

"I'm done with the guest list. _Almost, _that is. I need you to check it out for me. I might be missing out on a few names."

Jellal gladly accepted the offer, and Gray turned the laptop to face his friend. The former scrolled down a ginormous document which consisted of at least some five hundred odd names.

"Hmmmmm…none that I can see," he said, quickly reading through the list when his eyes came to a halt between the G and H column. "Wait, I don't find Mr. Garner in here."

"Holy shit!" Gray gasped, as if he had committed a grave, unforgivable sin. "How can I forget him?" He almost snatched his laptop back and typed in the name. "Our _mentor_! Sheesh. I'm loosin' it, I believe."

"Don't blame yourself," Jellal reassured. "Tends to happen when you've got too much of workload. I suggest you take a break, get back home and have a nice little dinner with your family."

Gray did something close to rolling his eyes.

"I don't have the time right now. Too much work. I swear I'll make up for my absence once I'm done with this."

"But, don't you think this defeats the very purpose of making everything so special for your wife on your anniversary? You need to be with her whenever you can, don't you?"

Gray attempted to say something quite melodramatic, but decided to stay put. Sighing, he turned the laptop screen around again.

"Two days. That's what it'll take. Two days, and she gets my surprise. I'm pretty sure it'll be worth it. After all, you've to sacrifice something in order to achieve something else. Isn't it so, my friend?"

"Well, not that I can disagree with you," Jellal said, nodding. "You certainly have everything _planned _out, haven't you?" there was a hint of mischief in his tone, something uncommon to his usual demeanour.

Gray raised a brow and snickered. "You bet."

Jellal sniggered himself and went back to surfing through the list.

"How's Ms. Scarlet doing?" Gray asked all of a sudden, thoughts about some of his _grand _schemes, returning to him. "You called to ask her about her condition, didn't you?"

Something in the blue haired man's eyes changed upon hearing the female's name. He had been halfway through the list when his finger stopped all of a sudden, halting in the middle of scrolling down the document. He remembered his brief, awkward conversation with the said person over the phone.

"She's doing well," Jellal said rather hurriedly, trying to get back to the list. "Her doctor said she's fit to work now."

"Oh!" Gray said, sliding further into his swivel chair. His hands had been interlocked in the front with his elbows on the arm rest, making him look like some mafia boss from a spy movie. "Come to think of it. You never told me about what she does, did you? The only thing I know about her is that she came to this city two years back. If I'm not wrong, you'd a little _chat_ with her, did you not?"

"She's a teacher," Jellal replied simply "-at Carmel Presbyterian."

"Teacher," Gray crooned, as if this was of particular interest to him. "Good." He turned to look at the desk calendar to his right, the official one from one of several NGOs run by his wife. His eyes fell on a particular date later in the month, and he was suddenly reminded of some other pressing issues in life.

"This reminds me, you've some convention thing coming up later this month, haven't you?" he asked, snippets of a plan taking shape inside his conniving brain.

"Yes, I do. It's the National Teachers' Convention in association with the Fiore Education Board. To be honest, I'm a little nervous about this. This is the first time we're sponsoring something outside our comfort zone."

Gray made his chair swing casually. "I'm pretty sure you'll do well. There's nothing your company can't do. But, there's also this thing about making the right choices."

Jellal looked up from the laptop screen, confused. "Choices?"

"Well, you're the sponsors cum co-organisers, aren't you? You definitely have the power to review the list of participants for this convention."

"Of course we do. Only the best will be selected for this."

"Exactly," said Gray, not in the mood to come to the point. "The convention will only invite teachers with either experience or talent. I assume you know some personally. I mean, you can always find out."

Jellal raised a brow. "What are you trying to get at, Gray?"

The over-enthusiastic match-maker let out a deep breath, a little annoyed at his friend's tendency to not arrive at fast conclusions on some occasions.

"Well, you do know a lot of teachers, don't you? I mean, you met one quiet recently."

The answer seemed to have dawned on Jellal Fernandez as his eyes widened slightly.

"Are you talking about Ms. Scarlet?"

"Bingo!" Gray grinned, giving the thumbs-up. "This can be a good opportunity for her. I'm pretty sure she's a talented young woman."

Jellal went into deep thought for a moment but came to a firm decision shortly after.

"As much as I want Ms. Scarlet to be a part of this program, I can't make radical interventions like that. Doesn't seem fair on the part of those who might be capable of being selected for this."

Gray tsk-ed loudly. "That's not what I meant," he said, visibly irritated. "Of course you won't do anything like that. I'm just asking you to give her a fair chance, that's all. I mean, she can be a part of the nomination process at least." He looked up at his friend with hope in his eyes.

Jellal thought about the proposition. The guest list lying neglected before his eyes, he considered making a tiny intervention in this regard. This time, the Fiore Convention had come up with a rule that enabled only teachers with at least ten years of work experience to be a part of the selection process. Out of these ten years, four had to have been concluded in one of the major cities of Fiore. Remembering how Ms. Scarlet had told him about coming to the city just two years ago, it didn't take much to conclude that she would definitely be left out of the nomination process itself.

"Look. I'll explain," began Gray, suddenly serious. "The rule about that experience shit, I think you need to reconsider it. It seems absolutely, well, _obnoxious._ Don't you think so? Elitist, in fact. There might be a lot of newbies from small towns who've the skill and talent to be a part of this. It's not just about her. It's about a lot of other teachers who might have the right qualities for this. You know, bringing in the younger lot to get a lot of _youthful _energy into this thing?"

The argument hit home. This was not just about thinking like a businessman and looking at the profitable aspect of the venture for Jellal. Besides, he had never been the kind to think too _capitalistically _about any propositions in the past. This being a venture related to a profession close to his heart, he had to make the right intervention, if he ever decided to make one.

"You're right," Jellal whispered, scrolling mindlessly down the list. "This is, indeed, a very serious issue. I must look into it immediately."

"Told yeah," satisfied with himself, Gray sank even further into his chair, making it seem like he was at the verge of placing his feet on the table to take a nap. "Not only will it benefit a lot of teachers who definitely have the talent to be selected for this thing, it'll also benefit someone, who I believe, is an excellent teacher herself."

"Unarguably."

With his job here done, Gray praised himself for his effort. Considering it didn't take too much to convince his friend on such sensitive issues like justice and opportunity, it wasn't entirely his own work. Half of it had to be attributed to the person himself.

"Oh and one more thing," said Gray, suddenly remembering something very crucial. "There's one more name that I've added to the list at the bottom. I just happened to have been thinking about this convention when I remembered putting it in there. I need your opinion on it."

Jellal nodded and jumped to the last page of the document. A small smile made it to his lips as he read out the name.

"We seem to have the same opinion on this matter, I believe," he said, tone full of gratitude.

"She makes a worthy guest, doesn't she? Out of most of the others who're there just for the sake of making it seem like a grand party, at least."

Jellal laughed heartily. "You'll never change, will you, Gray? It's funny how your wife has made you get down to planning parties, something that you like staying away from on a regular basis."

Gray shrugged and sighed. "Things you do for love."

Jellal gave his friend a big smile and went back to crosschecking the rest of the list. Giving the last name a quick glance, he jumped back to where he had abruptly changed the page.

"_It'll be an honour to have you at the party, Ms. Scarlet._ And, _Mr. Dragneel." _he added, typing the name silently into the list.

* * *

**A/N: So, I've made a New Year's resolution and this time, I DO intend to fulfill it. I've decided to learn Japanese. Since I don't have the time to join classes (coz my college time-table is much of a hindrance), I've decided to do it on my own. Crazy as it may sound, I wish to become a polyglot one day. I kinda know three languages already, but that really doesn't count coz two of them are my mother tongue**_**s, **_**minus English. So yeah. Wish me luck people!**

**Hopefully, you'll get faster updates from this point on. I know my speed has been terrible of late, but I can't help it. Final year is approaching and I need to start thinking about options for my Masters. The tragic life of a university student :'(**


	12. Feelings Captured In Frames

**Do I see the plot thickening here? Well! What do you know! I do, indeed.**

**Disclaimer: Fairy Tail and its characters belong to Hiro Mashima.**

* * *

**-CHAPTER TWELVE-**

**Feelings Captured in Frames  
**

* * *

Had it not been for her friendship with Steven Walker, Lucy Heartfilia wouldn't have thought twice before declining a request to be at his project success party. The Heart Kreuz boss was a magnet who would definitely attract a certain pink-haired fellow she wished to avoid at all costs; even if the reasons behind this shameful disposition were pretty much a big mystery to her.

Thinking about some convincing excuse to explain her absence from the party, Lucy Heartfilia Fernandesz frantically paced her room, failing to come up with any coherent strategy. After having given the nod over the phone, there was no way she could bunk this one. Reminding herself of her status and position, she attempted to rationalize her _fear_, but none of the explanations that she could think of were remotely relevant to the issue at hand. She knew she was being an idiot, and that there was no remedy, whatsoever, for her unexplained disinclination to meet a person who hadn't conversed beyond a few sentences with her.

Grabbing her hair in frustration and walking brusquely towards her dressing table, Lucy Heartfilia attempted to comprehend the muddled mess that were her emotions. A woman who feared none, a woman who had never cared less about what others thought of her, was suddenly affected by a person who had just made a small guest appearance in her life. The distance itself seemed to be doing the job; making the man appear like some shadowy, mysterious character that had suddenly brought an unknown, yet unexpected change within her.

A change that she fought hard to understand.

Tumbling unceremoniously into her bed and casting the pillows away with a violent jerk, Lucy took a deep breath and struggled to clear her thoughts. For the past few days, her brain seemed to have been processing garbage of all sorts; garbage, because this was precisely the first time in many years that an event had managed to have such a deep impact on her. Anything that succeeded in doing such a thing was a deviation; a disturbing diversion that made everything more complicated than it already was. If her heart had felt _gratitude _after so many years, there was something definitely peculiar about the direction her life was headed towards.

_No, _Lucy thought to herself, attempting to repair the embankment of self-control within her. She couldn't just let any random man barge into her life and make her feel so _warm _all of a sudden, especially when she'd taken a vow against feeling attached to the ruthless world that she lived in. For a person whose own blood becomes a weapon against her happiness and progress, relationships are not notable enough to be worth cherishing. After having her innocence, mercilessly axed out of her childhood memories, _warmth _became the last thing she could ever think of receiving.

Lucy thought back to the day when she'd gone for that fateful party. The music was still ringing in her ears, and she could surprisingly feel a tiny effect of the alcohol that she had consumed on that occasion. The bitter tang lingered in her taste buds, as she suddenly felt her body vibrate to the non-existent beats. It was as if an entire segment from the past had been brought back to life before her eyes. She remembered dancing amidst the mass of wildly swaying bodies, trying to let the music settle in for the sole purpose of eradicating her loneliness. She was struggling with it though, for parties had never been her interest per se. It was the atmosphere that she sought to make herself feel more _wanted. _If you take out this element from these gatherings, parties were nothing more than a nuisance to her. However, on that fateful day, even the above mentioned reasons were not enough to make Lucy feel any better about her life.

She'd been grooving to the beats as usual, waiting for the feeling of relief to sink in. She'd been depending on the alcohol too much, so she'd decided to be a little more liberal about the amount that went into her system. Making her arms swings with fervour, she'd been counting the minutes before she could become indifferent to pain and pleasure.

But, she never got the opportunity to make herself unresponsive to the several travesties that have become such an integral part of her existence.

That was precisely why she'd stopped dancing all of a sudden and had decided to move away from the increasingly oppressive atmosphere. The walls around had become a hindrance; a non-porous boundary that didn't provide her with much of a breathing space. She'd felt like a prisoner trapped in a glass jar, the walls of which were some sort of a supernatural apparatus, sucking the life force out of her already weakened body. Thus, walking down the streets in a state of inebriation and pain, she'd felt like the loneliest person on earth; detached, neglected and discarded by her own people. Biting back the urge to scream into the silent night, she'd walked on, summoning that little ounce of strength to make a few more centimeters. Unfortunately, her body had decided to rebel against the tenuous force of her will.

And amidst all this _drama, _as she now regarded it as, the _man_ had materialised out of nowhere and had suddenly put an imaginary blanket around her; a kind of an assurance that had not been uttered, but understood. It had not just been a simple act of saving an ailing person on a deserted street. No, not at all. If the case would have been so, Lucy Heartfilia wouldn't have given so much as a thought to that person, five minutes after her memory had returned. the timing that had played a very crucial factor in this regard.

Natsu Dragneel had decided to help her at a time when she'd needed it the most. Perfect timing, as one could call it. At a point where she had associated her falling on the ground as a symbolic abandonment of life, he'd pulled her back from those depressive depths to a life that had always had a purpose. Until she had unconsciously deviated from the goal, that is. Now that she was back on her feet, she couldn't help but thank the man for making her confront reality. _Her _reality.

Some people might say Lucy Heartfilia was over-thinking and exaggerating things; that she was magnifying her problems and highlighting some unimportant and non-existent facts. However, for a person who has been betrayed by the people she trusts the most, even an event like this could have a modicum of significance. Once her fragile heart had been touched like the way it had been, there was no turning back.

Heaving a sigh and covering her eyes with her shaking hands, Lucy tried to chant all the mantras that she could think of to ease the tension. When the formula didn't work, the _final resort _was what caught her attention. She got up in one fluid motion and almost glided over to her cupboard, wrenching it open with much eagerness. Opening the top-most drawer, she extracted a photo frame and a pendant that she regarded as the two most important objects in her life. Bringing them back to the bed with her, she revered the items as if they were her deities; the only gods that she could ever believe in. Weighing the diamond pendant in one hand, she turned over the photo frame and observed her mother's picture with deep interest in the other.

The resemblance was uncanny. But, a similarity in physical appearance was just the beginning of it.

_Mom. I'm doing well. I haven't forgotten my promise._ Lucy placed a quivering hand on her chest. Her heartbeat had increased dramatically the moment she'd looked into the warm, chocolate brown eyes of her mother. A feeling of longing spread through her, as she attempted to remember what it was like to have a look at them for real. Some corner of her brain strained under the effort, yet there was nothing it could do to reproduce the fragile memory of a three year old. Apart from a few scattered images and clips of a sweet lullaby, there was nothing much that she could remember of her mother. She'd come as an angel in her life; her only companion when she couldn't have expected anybody else from her own family to hold her little hands. At a time when a child needs the company of her family the most, holding out her tiny hands to grab onto more big, experienced ones, Lucy Heartfilia was left with nothing but air to grasp at. Out of the twenty years of her existence, three had been spent in the embrace of her mother and the rest had been a haunting memory of a never ending solitude.

Then, there was also the fact that this loneliness was a _gift_ given to her by the two people she loathed with utmost passion; the mother and son, who had come into her life as two poisonous elements and had left nothing but bitterness in their wake. Such was the impact of that unfortunate event, twenty years ago that even today, Lucy Heartfilia could clearly feel the acrimonious sting of their presence within the four walls of _her_ mansion.

_I wish you were here, mamma. I wish… _pressing the photo frame to her chest, Lucy put the pendant around her neck, feeling its surface with the tip of her finger. The smooth, symmetrical lines that had been etched upon the platinum, felt like a soothing therapy to her skin, making her forget momentarily about her pain. This was Lucy's favourite way of immunizing herself against repressive thoughts on a regular basis. It would work for some time, but like every good dream that comes to an end, the dreaded feelings would return too. Moreover, the fact that this very pendant had been practically defiled by her so called brother a few days back, wasn't helping her out in the least.

If only she could come up with a fool-proof and permanent solution to keep her troubles forever at bay. The only method that she could think of was an elaborate strategy that would take some time to come to fruition. Till then, she had to stand up against the forces that threatened to bring her down and not let her have the rights that she had always deserved to have.

And when it came to finding a reliable shoulder to lean on, to express her heart-felt thoughts and opinions for that little amount of time before her plan produced some positive results, she could only think of one woman who had managed to not make her feel alone in the absence of her mother.

That one woman who'd been the closest thing to a family over years of turmoil and tension.

Lucy grabbed her mobile phone and surfed through her contacts with much vigour, bracing herself for some catharsis. There were many things that she wanted to share, many ideas that she wished to express, and knowing there was someone who could patiently listen to all of her problems and readily provide some apt solutions, her excitement seemed to be bubbling on the surface. As the blonde narrowed down on that one name in her list, she knew she had lesser things to worry about, now that she had achieved at least an hour worth of mental peace.

"Good Evening, Aunt Minerva. I'd like to have a word with you."

* * *

"This one. This should go well with the shirt."

"How about this? It's a contrast."

"Really? Looks weird, in my own opinion. How about this blue one? Looks smart enough."

"Hmmm…you're right."

Erza Scarlet had become some sort of a model for ties. Holding about a dozen of them in her hands, she attempted to put them on one by one, turning in different angles before the mirror to ascertain the one which looked the best. Natsu stood right next to her, narrowing his eyes and concentrating fiercely on the different shades and patterns. He would often look down to survey the clothes he was wearing and then examine the ties in Erza's hands. If a match would seem possible, he would pick one up and try it on in front of the mirror, drawing opinions from the red head on the aesthetic appeal of his get-up.

Going for a Steven Walker party was no joke, after all.

"I think the blue one should do. It's good enough for the shirt. Your final call?" Natsu asked, his face so serious that it actually looked funny.

Erza thought for a moment, taking a few steps back to observe the complete look. A minute of scrutiny, and she was clear about her answer.

"Perfect!"

Natsu flashed a wide, toothy grin at his best friend. Despite being a model for the Heart Kreuz line, he was no good at selecting clothes or making the right combinations for a three piece, for that matter. When it came to things like dressing up for an uber cool party, Erza was the one he sought for some expert opinion and guidance.

Looking into the mirror to observe the final product of their fifteen minutes of hard-work and dedication, Natsu was pleased at the outcome. He looked presentable enough for a party that would be a kind of a semi-launch for his career in the modelling industry.

"Now, listen to me carefully," Erza whispered, all serious for her last minute instructions. "No fooling around, good conduct, stay away from women, abstain from stuffing too much food into your mouth, minimum amount of alcohol-"

"Whoa Erza! Yes, I know-"

"- no excessive fawning on your boss, _do not _pick up fights with your rivals, no attempts at eavesdropping…well, you can chuck that one, discipline-"

Natsu chuckled within. The list was always the same, no matter where he went to for his important businesses.

"Yes ma'am!" he chimed, saluting the lady and earning an eye roll in response. "Instructions duly noted."

"_And_, if I hear anything about you breaking so much as a wine glass in that party," Erza added with a dark look. "Well, you have been introduced to the consequences before."

Natsu gulped. The last part of Erza's verbal instruction manual was always scary, no matter the occasion. Wine glass? Hell, he wouldn't dare hold a paper cup if he were to consider receiving Erza's punishment at every step in the party.

"Pinky swear, I ain't doing anything wrong tonight," he said with a saintly expression on his face. "I don't intend to ruin my career prospects, after all!"

Erza looked mildly surprised. "Wow! That's amazing!" she said. "For once, you've decided to say something which appeals to the right part of my brain."

Natsu made a face. He could be a bit more intelligent if he wanted to, couldn't he?

"That's unfair." He pouted, and to Erza, he looked like the cutest thing when he did that. Pulling at his cheeks, Erza dusted off his jacket and ran a finger through his hair to make it look less like a nest. Once the finishing touch had been given, she turned him around and pushed him towards the bedroom exit.

"Oh wait!" she exclaimed, when the two were halfway across the living room. "Perfume!"

Dashing back into her room, Erza shuffled quickly through her cupboard drawers to look for the said item. Grabbing the can rather fiercely, she went over to Natsu and sprayed almost half of the bottle over his body.

"Oye Erza!" the pink-head coughed, trying to swat the fumes away with his hands. "I smell like a friggin' perfume shop!"

Erza's smile was smug. "That's exactly how it should be like," she said. "_Now_ we're done."

Giving his hair a quick touch-up again, Erza got back to pushing the male out of her house.

"One more thing," she said, as Natsu adjusted his cufflinks. "Enjoy yourself. You're one of the stars tonight. One day, Steven Walker will be having a party solely dedicated to your success with the line." She hugged him tightly from behind, nearly emptying his lungs of all the air content.

"Oh…k," Natsu choked, trying to wriggle free from the female's iron grip. "T-thanks f-for the encourage…ment."

"Levy's waiting for you downstairs. She said she'll drop you on her way to office. So, don't make her wait. _And_, be a good boy, 'kay?"

"Ok," Natsu whispered, making a dash for the elevator, so that the last part of his sentence did not make it possible for Erza to box his ears "-MOTHER!"

Erza's eyebrows twitched and she almost decided to give the man a chase.

"Come back here you runt!" she chided him, as Natsu stuck out his tongue while getting hurriedly into the lift.

"Not this time!" he yelped in joy, so happy about having escaped the regular cuff on his head, that he ran head first into an infuriated old lady standing inside, earning a substitute leather bag in the face.

A loud 'OWEEIIIEE' was what Erza heard of him as the lift doors shut, making her laugh like a maniac on having had her score settled, if not through direct means. When the female realised it wasn't healthy to chortle like that in a corridor lined with four occupied apartments, she quickly ran back into her own, picturing Natsu's face in the aftermath of the blow.

"That's right," she chirped, triumphantly. "That's what you get for messing around with me." She laughed at it for a few more minutes, and then went off to relax herself on the couch. Spreading her arms around to look for the remote, she found it lodged deep into the depths of the couch.

"Natsu you little punk!" the female sighed, looking at the pathetic condition of the device. Half of its buttons were off and one of the batteries seemed to have been misplaced.

"Great!" muttered the redhead, proceeding reluctantly towards the TV, cursing modern technology and its ability to make a handicap out of someone as fit as her.

She was surfing through the channels when she felt her mobile phone vibrate in her pyjama pocket. Startled by the suddenness of the movement, she almost yelped before plunging her hands into the pocket to take out the blasting device. She frowned as she saw an unknown number flash on her screen again. Only, this one didn't seem to match Mr. Fernandez's number from the day before.

Gingerly, Erza pressed the answer button and put the phone to her ear.

"Hello. Who's this?"

"_Good Evening Ms. Scarlet. I believe you know me well, after our fiery first meeting that is_."

When Erza did not find that funny enough to let out a laugh in response, the man on the other end shut up immediately and got down to business.

"_Ah well…sorry about that. Got carried away_."

"Who's this again?" Erza insisted, slightly annoyed. She knew she'd heard this voice before, but she couldn't place it.

"_Gray Fullbuster." _Came the response, much to Erza's chagrin. _Not again! Not again! _she thought to herself in addition, wondering just what had she done to attract such an unhealthy amount of _celebrity attention_ over the past few days.

"_I'm sorry to have given you a ring at this hour but I've urgent, ahem, business."_

Erza was amused, to say the least. Just what kind of _business _would Mr. Fullbuster have with her? There was nothing remotely relevant that she could think of.

"_It's not exactly business, though," _Mr. Fullbuster continued with slight hesitation in his tone. "_Actually, it isn't business at all. Well…the thing is, I've my wedding anniversary, two days from now."_

Erza raised a brow. The look on her face would have seemed comical, if not for the seriousness of the situation. "Uhm…okay…Happy Wedding Anniversary in advance?" she said, quite uncomfortable herself. She'd no idea where this conversation was headed towards.

"_So," _Gray began, slight uncertainty underpinning his tone. "_I've decided to throw a party and…well...I'd like you to be a part of it, you know, like an invitation."_

Erza had to hold onto every ounce of her will power to keep herself from screaming 'ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS?' over the phone. Nevertheless, she settled for a less flashy way of conveying the same message.

"Is this is a joke, Mr. Fullbuster?" she asked as icily as she could make herself sound.

The said man harrumphed over the receiver.

"_It certainly isn't," _he said reassuringly. "_What would make you think otherwise?" _

Erza thought about it for a second. "The fact that we _did_ have a _fiery first meeting_ a few days back, perhaps?"

There was a short, awkward pause, and then Gray Fullbuster chuckled slightly.

"_You've a good sense of humour, Ms. Scarlet_," he said, his tone not as condescending as the redhead had expected it to be. "_Well, although, that is precisely why I'd like you to be present at the party_."

Erza opened her mouth to say something, to say _anything, _but she'd fallen short of words. What could be a possible response to _this _anyway? It wasn't like she was used to celebrity businessmen calling her up at night to request for her company at some party. This was definitely crossing the line into a territory that had more resemblance to Alice's wonderland than the world that she actually lived in.

"Why would that be so?" Erza asked in an attempt to make sense of the situation. The absurdity was way too much for her brain to handle. "I mean, it's an _honour _to have you invite me to your party, _sir, _but how will my presence be so, well, _desirable _at the event?" Erza knew her question didn't sound quite right in the context, but she couldn't help it. She'd some answers to look forward to.

There was another awkward pause in the line. Gray Fullbuster, it seemed, had some difficulty framing his explanation.

"_The thing is, Ms Scarlet_," he attempted. "_I feel terribly sorry for having behaved so _rashly_ with you, back at Carlton. Then, you helped my dear friend out and even made the effort to come over to his office to deliver his coat personally to him. If nothing else, I believe you would do me a great favour if you decided to come over. It'll make me feel like… you've forgiven me for my indecency." _A short, almost inaudible burst of breath followed the explanation.

Erza's fingers had automatically reached her mouth. Biting her nails in tension and frustration, she carefully considered her next words. What answer could she possibly have for a request like that? If her experience and common knowledge were to provide any hints in this regard, 'No, hell no,' was the only logical answer that she could think of. Apart from that simple, straight forward response, there was no other reasonable solution, for Erza had had enough of rubbing shoulders with people who had little to zero relevance in her life.

Yet, as she attempted to give her answer over the phone and set things straight once and for all, Erza Scarlet's vocal chords seemed to have gone way beyond her control. For what came out of the female's mouth the next instant, was something that she couldn't have vouched for in a thousand ages. It was a response in the affirmative.

"Thank you for the invitation, Mr. Fullbuster. I'd love to be a part of the celebrations."

There. She had done it again.

"_That's very pleasant to hear, Ms. Scarlet. I'm glad you've decided to, well, grace us with your presence," _and as Mr. Fullbuster said that, there seemed to be no pomposity in his tone. "_I'll text you the formal invitation right away. Please, don't take this as a rich man's scheme. Me and my friend simply intend to show you our gratitude for saving Lucy's life. We will be happy if you come. Really."_

Erza simply let out a small 'hmmm' in response. There wasn't anything much to say in any case.

"_And,"_ Gray added, his voice suddenly dropping a pitch lower, making it sound vicious. "_You can bring your...ahem, friend along if you want. That Drag...uhm... Dragqueen-"_

"Dragneel you mean" Erza cut in, a slight force underlying her own tone.

"_Yes. Mr._ Dragneel. _Jellal would be particularly happy if he...decides to come."_

With that, the line went dead and Erza got to dash into her bedroom in a dramatic fashion yet again. This time, however, she decided she'd not go into her monologue mode at all. No matter the intensity of her urge to do so. If it hadn't been for these long, internal explanation sessions that she had been having with herself for the past few days, Erza would have had a stable thought process by now. Since it wasn't in her best interest to sit and think too much about the whole situation, she decided to give it a break and not indulge the more analytical facilities of her brain for once. For the first time, she willed her heart and mind to go with the flow, even if that meant turning a blind eye to logic.

She forced her mental self to do something, which it wasn't either accustomed, or programmed to do.

* * *

Back at the Fullbuster mansion, Gray Fullbuster heaved a sigh of relief.

"That was one hell of a task." He breathed, putting his phone aside. After sending the official invitation to his _special_ guest, he relaxed the tense set of his shoulders and loosened his tie. A photo frame from nine years ago came into his line of sight. Letting out a chuckle, he forced himself up and dragged his tired body to the mantelpiece upon which it lay, amidst a horde of similar photographs that talked about his pleasant time in Era as a business student with his only true friend in life. Grabbing the frame, Gray almost laughed as he remembered the occasion when the photograph had been clicked. Floating in the middle of a freezing lake, a young, bespectacled Jellal seemed appalled at having been pushed into the water by his best friend. Gray was almost glomping his friend in the picture, smiling at the camera and attempting to rob the shy, blue haired man of his t-shirt at the same time. He remembered having given him a dare to do something outrageous for once in his life. When the innocent Jellal couldn't think of any such thing to do, Gray had promptly pushed him into the cold water, following him in a second later and posing for the shutterbugs to make it to the cover page of the yearbook. On both sides of the photo frame, there was a series of other pictures that aptly described his journey at ESE. From a socially awkward and grumpy freshman to an increasingly fun-loving man with a best friend cum bro, Gray realised what a ride his college life had been. Without even realising it, his life had been given a complete makeover over a period of five years, making him the man that he was today. And, this was all thanks to a person who'd never learned how to take anything in return for the kindness that he showered people with. It was heart-wrenching for Gray to actually tolerate the condition that he lived in today; a sort of a guilty feeling that he could, at the end of the day, turn back to a family and kids while his friend, who had made him believe in the power of relationships, was left with no one to confide in. Cruel twist of fate or his inability to keep his friend from harm's way despite several promises; whatever be the case, Gray couldn't deny the fact that at the end of the day, it was his friend who had received the short end of the stick.

Curling his hands into fists, Gray tried to control the abrupt surge of anger that bubbled inside his veins. Thinking about his friend's condition would always remind him of that day when he'd seen him in his most vulnerable state ever; amidst broken pieces of several alcohol bottles, drunk to the point of non-recognition. He would never forget how he'd seen him weep that day, like he'd nothing but his life to hold onto. The sorrow in his eyes had been the sorrow of a man who had been shown the gateway to nirvana after a life spent in hell, only to be pushed back into the never endings depths of the abyss. _If_ only he'd paid a little more attention to the _evidences _that had been garnered just a few days before the incident… Gray couldn't even begin to describe the kind of blunder that it'd been; massive carelessness on his part, the consequences of which were now being faced by his best friend.

_Not anymore, _Gray thought to himself, looking resolutely at the picture in his hands. If not out of obligation as a friend who ought to help his best buddy in times of crisis, Gray had to at least act out of the sheer force of humanitarian will to help a person to whom he owed his happy married life.

"Good times are coming, my friend. They're coming."

* * *

Passing a strained smile to a couple of socialites who giggled past in a clutter of heels and jewels, Lucy rubbed the back of her neck and took a sip of the white wine that she held in her hands. This was what an hour long conversation with Aunt Minerva could do; make her attend a party that she'd decided to avoid coming to at all costs. Sighing, Lucy Heartfilia tried her best to make it look like she wasn't being bothered by anything at all. Shaping her lips into a plastic smile that was a product of frequenting these very parties, she almost made the beam look genuine and convincing. Occasionally, she would run into people with whom she had little to no conversation in her daily life. A boring and forced tête-à-tête about some insignificant issues would ensue, often ending up in either an awkward silence, or the sudden urge to visit the washroom. Somehow, Lucy managed to pull through much of this nuisance, only buckling on one occasion when the major reason behind throwing the party was touched upon. A group of newbies in the modelling industry walked up to Steven Walker, and Lucy didn't need to look twice before spotting that one person she'd been quite averse to meeting. Taking cover behind a rather tall gentleman, the blonde peeked inconspicuously over his broad shoulders, trying to get as much view of the pink-haired male as possible.

Steven Walker held up his wine glass elegantly and demanded the attention of his guests. His silver hair had been slicked back and he was wearing a creation of his own.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I've your attention please?" he called out in his trademark sing-song voice, beckoning the five newcomers forward. Natsu Dragneel seemed nervous in the way he wriggled his brows, but compensated by flashing a rather confident smile at the same time.

"Let me introduce you to the precious finds of this season," Steven held out his hand and pointed at the young men standing on his left. "They will be working with our line for the next two years, representing the new Five Seasons concept." There was a huge round of applause and some appreciative murmur. A few females were passing seductive, suggestive glances in the direction of the models.

As Steven Walker went about introducing each one of them, Lucy skimmed through much of what he said and focused only on one of his five finds; that one person who'd managed to hold her attention for a period of time way beyond her normal standards. And for Lucy Heartfilia Fernandez, that was saying something.

She went through the same impromptu exercise of skimming involuntarily through her memories. Despite her inability to remember his face from that moment back on the street, she vigorously imagined the scene in her mind. With the said man standing right in front of her, it wasn't difficult for her to frame a picture of him holding her in that pathetic state, concern pulling his brows together. Something akin to warmth spread through her chest in response to this vivid imagination, making Lucy chug the alcohol in her hand. She coughed as the liquid went hastily down her throat, making her knees buckle slightly in the aftermath. A couple of people around turned to look at her with raised brows, making her curse within and look around apologetically.

"Are you alright, Ms. _Heartfilia_?" a female voice laced with fake concern, caught her by surprise. Soon enough, a hand was placed on her shoulder and it seemed to coil around her neck like a vicious snake.

Lucy turned around abruptly, her eyes widening the moment they came to rest upon the person who had just joined her. Nothing in life could have surprised her more than the sight of the woman who was supposed to never be seen around again.

"Wha_-?"_

"What am _I_ doing here?" the newcomer cut in, seeming to enjoy herself at having caught the blonde off-guard. "Well, it's a small world out there, isn't it, Ms. Heartfilia?"

Lucy felt something akin to venom rise up in her throat. The insides of her mouth suddenly went dry.

"I thought I asked you to not set your foot into this city," she grumbled, dropping her voice to a whisper. "What is it that you want now?"

The female smirked at that. She seemed to be enjoying herself way too much.

"Absolutely nothing, my _friend_," she said, frostily. "I've everything that I need, all thanks to your little _contribution _that is."

Distracted by this sudden encounter, Lucy had almost forgotten about her childish attempt at hiding from the Dragneel person. As the mountain of a man who'd been her temporary shield shifted from his position, she turned around abruptly to look at the pink-head, only to notice that his eyes had come to rest on her, slight curiosity and wonder, puckering his brows.

_Shit._

Tearing her gaze from him at once, Lucy Heartfilia grabbed the woman by her arm and made a dash for the washroom in the far end of the hall. After checking all the cubicles for the privacy that was desperately needed, she went over to the door and latched it shut. The female seemed slightly amused at this sudden change in behaviour on the part of the blonde.

"It is hard for me to believe," began Lucy, trying to collect her bearings. "-that you'd come back to _express_ your _gratitude, _of all the other godforsaken reasons that I can think of. And, considering I know you pretty well already, you don't seem to be the kind who would make the effort to actually cross the seven seas to offer a thanks after several years of the work being done."

The woman pretended to flinch in response to the accusation.

"That was harsh, Ms. Heartfilia," she said, faking dejection. "Although, when it comes to things like crossing the seven seas for getting your dirty work done, you seem to be the champion of champions."

Lucy narrowed her eyes and shot a poisonous glare at the female.

"But, the work can only be done if the participant is willing enough. Avarice, my friend, is a very dangerous sin indeed," she countered, a smirk pulling her lips up.

The newcomer soured up a little at that, her eyes flashing dangerously for a fraction of a second. But, the sudden change was gone as soon as it had appeared on her face.

"Bad influence, perhaps?" she suggested through gritted teeth, the animosity in her tone pretty evident.

"Or, bad luck at having messed with the wrong people," Lucy offered, clearly satisfied at having a clear edge in the argument. "You'd it coming your way from the beginning. So, instead of sulking about what's happened in the past, don't you think it'll be better if you give me the exact reason behind your surprise visit, unless you want me to dig that out by myself?"

The woman looked away and sneered.

"Your throne's in danger, _Your Highness," _she said, making the effort to utter every word loud and clear. "-by a certain red-head, if I'm to believe what I saw the other day."

Lucy Heartfilia felt like someone had just slapped her across her face. Despite the fact that the suddenness of the news had made her go all numb in the comprehension department, her sub-conscious self had gathered the implication of those words.

"What," Lucy muttered, "do you mean by that?"

The woman took a deep breath and turned to look at the blonde. "In a language that you will understand then," she sighed. "Someone is trying to tread the same path that I did a few years ago," as the female said this, there seemed to be a fire of resentment blazing in her irises.

However, Lucy Heartfilia was too occupied to notice a detail like that. She'd some other pressing concerns to focus her attention on.

"Who is this person?" she asked, not wasting a second to begin with her inquiry. "What does she want? Where does she live?"

"I'm sorry Ms. Heartfilia, but the last time checked, I was an ordinary woman and not some top-notch detective with the ability to dig out people's histories. You've been quite proficient in that area, though."

"What have you come here for then?" Lucy hissed, almost at the verge of throwing the empty wine glass that she holding on the floor.

The lady's expressions sobered somewhat. There seemed to be a rueful look on her face, her eyes looking into a distant something that was far beyond the four walls around her.

"I was here for some business, until I came upon the scene, that is." She said grimly. "Considering I do owe some of my financial stability to you, I decided to warn you against it."

Lucy pretended to look impressed. "Oh! How very considerate of you!" she crooned in mock admiration. "Or, is it just a ruse to get back into the arms of your old lover?"

"You know I'm well past that point, Lucy Heartfilia. Besides, I don't have the time to get myself involved into such messy affairs. I happened to have been in town for some urgent business when I saw her sitting in his car. I decided to warn you for I…do owe you a lot."

"I must say I'm _overwhelmed_," Lucy said with much sarcasm. "You've risen way above my expectations. You almost managed to touch my heart."

It was the woman's turn to chuckle. "Touching _your_ heart? This has to be, perhaps, the biggest achievement of my life because your heart doesn't seem to be in the right place."

Lucy ignored the acidic comment. There were things that were more attention-worthy than the hopeless retorts of a failure of a woman who was all bark and no bite. She'd set her straight once, doing nothing but holding out a mirror to show her the dark, ugly side that she'd been confident she'd never had. The very fact that she was wearing the finest of fabric on her body, and the purest of jewels on her fingers, was nothing but a testimony to the favours that Lucy Heartfilia had been all too enthusiastic to deliver. Procuring that very mirror again to trigger the disillusionment process wouldn't be much of trouble to the wealthy heiress.

"Is there anything else that I would like to be informed about?" she asked, regarding the woman before her with wary eyes. "I've enough experience to deduce that this conversation will not end the way that I'm hoping it would."

The woman, towards whom this question was directed, shifted uneasily on her heels, averting the interrogative gaze that threatened to lay her thoughts bare.

"If you think that to be the case, then I'm afraid you have misunderstood me all this while," she said, her voice a notch lower, reflective of the turmoil that raged within her. "Besides, I'm not under obligations anymore, so it'll be better for your health to not think too much about it. You'll end up over-stressing yourself without much gain."

"And since when have you been so concerned about my health? Does it have anything to do with the cheque that's shortly coming your way?"

The raven haired woman winced inwardly at those words. A part of her soul seemed to burn at the thought of this exchange. Clenching her quivering hands into fists, she turned on the spot and prepared to walk out of this distressing conversation, pausing for a few seconds to say something that took much effort to come out, for the response was pretty much forced out of her mouth.

"You can keep that cheque for now, Lucy Heartfilia. You might need to sign it soon."

* * *

It wasn't like Natsu Dragneel hadn't expected a starlet like the Fernandez heiress to be present at such a high profile party. It wasn't even the mild surprise at having spotted her peeking over a giant's shoulder to have a look at him. It had more to do with this funny feeling mushrooming in the pit of his stomach that made him feel like he was suddenly airborne on a swing, ready to come flying down in a swoosh. Attempting to break free from a circle of ladies that danced around him like he was some friggin' campfire, Natsu managed to only catch a glimpse of golden and black, flying away into the distance and merging into the crowd. With so many people crammed into a space that wasn't even ready to handle half of those present on a different occasion, it was difficult for Natsu to follow the trail of gold into the throng. Before he could even try to figure the direction the lady went into, he was caught hold of by his new boss and forced to pass smiles at random page 3 regulars he had never been acquainted to.

Minutes passed, and Natsu grew extremely impatient by the time he was done introducing himself to a thousand different people on the way. All the while, he kept his eyes fixed on the spot where he had last seen that shade of colour whirl into the sea of gowns and coats. The wait was not helping him at all. Erza's punishment pushed into the background, Natsu felt his nostrils flare as he was denied what his impulses were asking him to do, making him cringe with discomfort. Couldn't these dicks see he was in the middle of such an important business?

And surely, his dedicated and unblinking glare was rewarded productively when he spotted the unique shade of gold in the crowd again, whizzing past the security to get into a waiting car standing outside on the porch. This was it. Natsu didn't see left or right before breaking into a run, not wanting to miss his chance at some teasing that had been left undone a few days back. Zooming past a few alarmed guests, some of whom almost dropped their glasses in alarm, Natsu didn't even notice a figure move right in front of him, giving him no time to lower his speed or change his course.

The impact was not as violent as he had expected it to be, though. Part of it, however, had to be attributed to the woman herself, for she seemed least bothered by such a glaring breach of propriety at a party as high-end as this. Turning around to look at him with a lost expression on her face, the beautiful female apologised despite the absence of any fault on her part. Natsu started awkwardly at the lady before she abruptly turned around and followed the blonde outside, getting into a car of her own.

"What the-" Natsu wondered, scratching his head and muttering something about the kind of weirdos he had to deal with for the years to come. He'd almost decided to shake that little interruption out of his head, when the face of the raven haired woman who had just apologised, came back into his mind. Thanks to the sudden impact, he'd not paid much attention to her features before, but now that the picture imprinted itself quite accurately inside his head, he couldn't help but gasp as he recognised the person he had just walked into.

A name that had risen like a meteor in the industry a couple of years back, emerging from the shadows so unexpectedly, that many had fabricated some nasty rumours to explain the causes behind her success.

"_Holy_ _Crap_!_ It was her_!" Natsu whispered, his eyes widening slightly.

The fallen diva who had gotten out of the shell tonight, after her long absence from a stage that had practically been her religion for the better part of her career. The reigning model of his generation, whose lifework had been a roller-coaster ride of a dramatic peak and an equally dramatic downfall.

"_Ultear Milkovich_!"

* * *

**(A/N): So, what have you kids learned from Fairy Tail so far? You know things aren't going to go well if Auntie Minerva has a finger in the pie. *Evil slasher smile*Unsurprisingly, the 'Aunt' before her name cracked me up the first time I typed it into the chapter. The scene was pretty serious, but something about the **_**image **_**that the word evoked seemed hilarious, in a very twisted way. *shudders***

**About that little 'reveal' in the end. It might not have been as surprising as I had wanted it to be, considering that many of you must have had an idea about Ultear being the 'blast from the past' in Jellal's life. But, their back story might compensate for that part in the near future. A lot of questions have to be answered, after all ;)**

**A biiiig thanks to all those who have taken the time to drop a review. It makes it worth writing this fic and having fun while doing it. Every review means the world to me, really!**


	13. Guilt, Regrets and a New Acquaintance

**(A/N): It feels like I've emerged victorious from a bloody hundred years war. And as I pick up my withered, bloodstained quill and wave it victoriously in the air, I feel like the laurel of victory has breathed new life into me. Behold, my lovely readers, as Aeria Swordlancer 2.0 emerges from the pits of lethargy and several hundred tonnes of assignment sheets to update for the first time in five months.**

**I've this strong sense of accomplishment that I haven't had in months.**

**Disclaimer: Fairy Tail and its characters belong to Hiro Mashima.**

* * *

**-CHAPTER THIRTEEN-**

**Guilt, Regrets and a New Acquaintance**

* * *

Ultear Milkovich stumbled down the dark lane as if in a trance. A few miles north, she'd abandoned the chauffeur that her agency had provided her with as a conveyance for her brief stay here in the city of Magnolia. After a hurried apology and a quick assurance that she would make it back to the hotel on her own, Ultear had slipped away in eagerness, hoping to get the privacy that she'd been yearning for in the past one week. Her stay in Magnolia had originally meant to be for three days, but Ultear had managed to extend the duration for a reason she had yet to discern.

Somewhere down the narrow lane that she was treading, the strap on her heel snapped off, and Ultear was forced to abandon her gladiator heels and walk barefoot down the cold pavement. She didn't mind it at all. There had been a time, not long back in her past, when she'd been a part of a family where shoes were a luxury that could seldom be afforded.

From that point to this point in her life, several changes had seeped in to alter the course of her life; some, so small that they couldn't even manage to scratch the surface, and the others, big enough to turn her entire world upside-down. It was this one grand change, two years ago, that had propelled her to walk the path that she treads today. If only she'd been a little more conscious of the manoeuvres that had been made in secrecy two years back and had led to this condition of hers. It was a pity, she thought, that the daughter of a man who'd always taught his only child the importance of reading people, had today, landed in a tight spot as a result of her failure to do the same. She had made some grave miscalculations a couple of years ago, the consequences of which she was still facing today.

_If only…_

These were the words that described Ultear Milkovich today. Words that grated on her nerves and haunted her in her dreams to a point where she thought she'd never be able to escape from their clutches. They had gripped her like a vice; a potent hold that refused to leave her, and even today, deeply affected her conscience.

They'd managed to reduce a woman who had prided herself on being and feeling independent, to a woman who'd nothing to do but laugh at the hollowness of her own approach.

A woman who'd been at the mercy of no one even while being in a condition where she'd found it difficult to earn two square meals a day.

A woman who'd learned how to stand on her own two feet since the time she'd first learned how to speak.

A woman who'd supported her family single-handedly through a phase that could have meant sleepless nights on the streets, if not for the multiple jobs that she'd diligently toiled through.

A woman who'd been shown a despicable reflection of her own darkened self two years ago, the effects of which, she could still feel today.

While Ultear still believed that all of what she'd done hadn't been wrong, there were some aspects of her decision that she deeply resented today. If only she'd approached the matter with a little more maturity and hadn't rushed through things, her life would have been a different story altogether. There were many things Ultear thought she could have done at the moment that she took her decision, but today, these things mattered in the least. The damage had been done, and there was no way she could reverse the effects of a decision made two years ago to make things go back to the way they used to be. Sometimes, regrets in life are too big to handle, and for Ultear, regret was that one aspect of her life that ate at her from within, chewing her heart off from the inside out and making her feel like a possessed woman walking towards a dream she thought was reality. A dream where the man she still loved, whispered beautiful somethings into her ear after a night spent passionately.

A chuckle escaped Ultear's lips and she sank into an empty bench at a nearby bus stop. She'd only a vague idea about the part of the city she was in at the moment (she hadn't been to Magnolia in the two years following her terrible breakup and the streets had changed beyond recognition) and there seemed to be not a single soul out in the open at this hour. Isolated and cornered in the dark, Ultear felt exactly like she'd felt the day she'd packed her things up and moved away from a relationship that had been nothing but magical. The long flight from Magnolia to a country afar had felt like a walk through a river of fire; it had burned it, had scalded her emotionally and had choked her with the sooty remains of her relationship. All this, because she'd been stupid enough to not see through the deceitful moves thrown in by a set of people she sincerely hoped had never been a part of her ex-lover's life.

_Ex-lover._

A word Ultear thought she'd gotten past, but a word she knew that could still reduce her to a pitiful state. She spat at the image she made these days; that of a weak woman haunted by the ghosts of her past. A miserable excuse of a person who'd once made grand claims of being free-spirited and independent through most of her life, only to fall back into her shell and regret making those very claims in the first place. To Ultear, it felt like her entire existence had been called to question in the two years that she'd lived abroad.

In that instance when Ultear felt like she was at the verge of being choked by a recollection of her own failures, she reached for the little clutch in her hands and extracted a bracelet from its depths, its shimmering surface reflecting the moonlight. It was a beautiful diamond piece with delicate patterns etched across its surface in the form of tender vines with little blossoming buds. The chain was thin and looked fragile, but it was strong enough to resist a pull and had managed to stay in one piece all these years. Sometimes, Ultear Milkovich wondered if this property of the piece had anything to do with her future; perhaps, some kind of an indication that despite all odds and adverse circumstances, her broken relationship still had the hope of being fixed with a little effort from her side. While Ultear knew this hopeless optimism was doing to her more harm than good, the realisation never stopped her from dreaming on. Somewhere deep down, her heart still fluttered at the aspect of starting her long lost relationship from scratch; with each of those little details like lingering glances, late night messages and cups of coffee shared between work hours in the confines of _his_ office taking precedence over any other aspects.

_Look at yourself Ultear Milkovich. Look at how pathetic you've become._

This sharp reminder of her current circumstances was what Ultear would come up with whenever she'd start dreaming about the impossible. It was funny how life had brought her to such a fork in the road where she could go neither way- a dead end of some sort. On one side lay a past filled with misery and a paucity of resources- a past that had been her strength through years of struggle. On the other was a recollection of a phase after she had met the man who had changed her life- the moments spent with him and the tumultuous journey after she decided to part ways with him. Both these paths were, in a sense, her identity.

And identity is something that you can't easily part ways with.

Her success had been built upon a failure she cringed at. A fatal blunder that had forced her to dive downhill after a massive surge upwards. The pitfalls of fame, as one could safely call it. While stardom is something that can feed your ego and make you feel like the most important person in this world, it can also force you to go back on your words and make you face the dirt on the ground without so much as a flinch. One wrong move and you fall so deep into the pit of ignominy, that there are no hopes of ever making it to the top again. For Ultear Milkovich, fame had been both a boon and a curse.

Gingerly, the raven haired woman wrapped the bracelet around her right wrist, admiring it from all sides after she was done fastening it. This beautiful piece of jewellery had been a gift to her by the man she still loved as a symbol of his feelings towards her. He'd taken it out of a velvet box on a rainy night three years ago, tying it around her wrist while her eyes had been closed. Then, kissing her gently on her hand, he'd expressed his love for her after about five months of fighting with his own emotions. Half a year later on the same date, the man had slipped a ring into her finger, promising to give her happiness for the rest of his life under the light of a beautiful full moon.

Jellal Fernandez had promised to give her happiness despite having to deal with a multitude of problems that had always threatened to snatch his own happiness.

If only.

If only she'd been as considerate as she should have been of his sacrifices. If only she'd given herself a chance with him. If only she'd been mature enough to understand that Jellal was not a man she could find a substitute for even if she looked hard. If only she'd tried a little harder to find an optimal solution that could have solved the moral dilemma that had been responsible for the heart-wrenching breakup- a decision that she'd had to make between her ambitions and her love.

If only.

Ultear shook her head and forced herself out of her musings. It'd started to drizzle slightly and a chilly wind swept past her, making her shiver down to her bones. Clad in only a short, shimmering number, Ultear could feel her legs go numb with the cold that now descended upon her, the spray of tiny droplets from the drizzle, dampening her hair and exposed skin.

A tiny beep sounded from somewhere inside her clutch, and Ultear extracted a vibrating mobile phone the next second.

It was a text from her PA.

_Sorry to bother you so late at night but a lady by the name of Heartfilia stopped by at the hotel you are staying at. I was told she has been looking forward to meeting you and even waited for half an hour in the lobby to see you. She left a while ago, but she contacted me since you're not reachable. If you have no problem with this appointment, shall I give her a confirmation for tomorrow?_

Ultear frowned.

Considering she'd met Lucy just a while ago, she couldn't understand why the blonde would want to see her again. Not that she didn't have any idea about the workings of Ms. Heartfilia's conniving brain. She must be cooking up something, suspected as she always had, the raven haired woman's intentions and motives.

_She's being paranoid for no reason, _Ultear thought as she sent a quick 'yes' to her PA. But then, she looked into her heart and questioned her own stance on the entire issue of coming back to Magnolia. Why was it that she'd decided to extend her stay in the city when her work had practically been done with the party tonight?

Ultear could only draw a blank.

After all, she could not even judge the strength of her own heart to resist making a reappearance in the life of her former lover.

And that was perhaps the reason Lucy Heartfilia was so bent on seeing her again. She must have been looking for some sort of a confirmation or assurance that she'd not meddle into her affairs again.

_Don't worry Heartfilia. I've not the slightest intentions of rekindling a romance that I know can never be ignited again,_ Ultear thought to herself, only to cringe at the way her voice sounded so doubtful in the light of her proximity to the man she still loved.

* * *

Jellal Fernandez heaved a sigh of relief as he finished sorting the last of his files and finally allowed his secretary to call it off for the day. He felt sorry about having Evergreen overstress herself the entire week, but he really did not have a choice. An important deal was on its way to come to fruition, and the background work had to be taken care of in order to ensure a positive result. This was how the Fernandez group of Industries worked and Jellal had to keep up with their name and methods. Letting out a deep breath of relief, he rubbed his eyes with his fingers and looked around his office. A minute of silent observation and he got up from his chair in a swift motion, ready to head back home. He directed a quick glance at the various items lying on his desk before yanking his coat from where he had draped it over his chair. Multitasking as he always is inside the office premises, he read and sent mails on his phone as he made his way through the large work area lined with cubicles. Several employees who had filled in for their night shift turned around and greeted him as he passed by, and Jellal responded with the gentlest of smiles on his face.

It was fairly late at night and the streets in central Magnolia, which were perpetually jammed otherwise, had lost a little of their crowd. The Bentley glided down the road in silence, and in the backseat of the car, Jellal Fernandez decided that he hadn't done enough work at office today. With an unsatisfied heart, he extracted his MacBook and got down to making a presentation for an upcoming meeting with the board when something caught his attention out on the street. It was like a streak of silver that he'd seen gliding past out of the corner of his eyes, and his heart and mind were suddenly conscious of every little detail in his surroundings. A strong urge to turn and look out of the window gripped him, and he turned his head sharply to the right to observe a taxi that was parked a few metres ahead at a red light where they had stopped.

Only a glimpse was enough to arrest his heart beat for a second.

While the person concerned wasn't exactly visible from Jellal's vantage point, the blue haired man was sure he didn't need a full profile to recognise the woman seated inside the taxi. Long raven black hair and a smooth oval shaped face. These two features were enough to send his entire world crumbling around him.

_Ultear?_

Jellal's eyes widened and he dumped his MacBook into the empty seat on his left. The shops and lights around faded into nothingness, making his eyes focus only on the taxi ahead the woman seated inside. The streak of silver earlier had been the shimmer of her dress, and her hair had been let loose like she had always preferred it, its sheen reflecting the lights coming from the street outside. Jellal was suddenly conscious of a dry throat and jittering limbs.

_Is that her? No. It can't be._

It was impossible. Ultear had left the country two years ago with the intention of never coming back, and he couldn't see why she'd go back on her words all of a sudden. There was nothing and no one left for her in this city, severed as she had two years ago, the only allegiance she'd had in here.

An allegiance that had meant the world to him.

Jellal was suddenly aware of the pain that had shot up his chest; a pain that was neither physical nor bearable. It was the sort of pain that struck him whenever he thought of the woman who was possibly sitting in the taxi up ahead. He could feel his fingers shivering and his heart beat accelerating to alarming levels. A flood of memories swirled about inside his head, accentuating the pain that now threatened his very existence.

_Is that you?_

He inched forward on his seat. Head craned a little to the right to look more effectively through the taxi window, Jellal tried to catch a better glimpse of the mysterious woman. Her face was still concealed from him, giving him a partial and fuzzy view of her better features from his line of sight. Her hair and the side curve of her face seemed to be the only sources for him to decide whether this person was the woman he still loved or not.

"Gordon, if you could move the car a little further…towards that taxi on our right," he heard himself say to the driver, the eagerness clearly audible in his tone.

The driver conceded and tried to move in as much as the space around them could permit. The new position didn't help Jellal in the least. He was still way behind the taxi and was unable to catch a better glimpse of the woman inside.

_Damn it!_

He knew he was behaving irrationally; that there was no way Ultear Milkovich could be found in Magnolia after she'd expressed her desire to never set foot in this city again. There was nothing left for her to do in here, no person to look back to. If this was some weird joke that life was playing on him, then Jellal Fernandez was, for the first time in his life, sick of such a foul play.

He had started to sweat profusely despite the cold bursts coming in from the AC up ahead. Suddenly, the spacious interior of the car felt like a dingy cave that was closing in on him with every passing second. He felt like he was trapped somewhere dark and gloomy, like the walls around him were decomposing and burying him in the process.

And when a person is trapped under several metres of debris, his heart perks up at and reaches towards the only source of light visible through the tiny cracks in the rubble.

Without thinking about the consequences of his actions, and without looking to his left or right, Jellal threw open the door and stepped out into the drizzle. His driver looked alarmed at this move and called out to him, but Jellal paid no heed. He couldn't even listen to anything else but the sound of his own heartbeat. Gulping quite audibly, he made his way towards the taxi, his fingers going numb with the cold that had blanketed Magnolia tonight. He was only a few inches away.

Like a man in a trance, he walked towards the woman- almost _gravitated _towards her rather- hoping he would finally be able to see her after so long. This longing, this _need _felt pathetic, but Jellal was not in the mood to accept it as childish behaviour on his part. Some questions had been left unanswered two years ago and he hoped, with all his heart, that he would finally get to hear out exactly what had made Ultear change her mind all of a sudden and break their beautiful relationship within the span of a single day.

One day had been enough to turn his world upside down.

One day could, perhaps, bring it back on track.

Covering the remaining distance in two long strides, Jellal finally made it to the taxi and immediately peeked in through the backseat window. His heart stopped beating for a second as the female, who'd been looking away from him, turned around abruptly to face him, her eyes widening in surprise.

Bright green eyes looked back at him through the partially foggy window.

"Excuse me?" he could see her lips move and she looked at him in confusion.

Something heavy fell into the pit of Jellal's stomach.

"Sorry," he mumbled to the stranger as she opened the window to give him a piece of her mind for scaring the living daylights out of her.

Up ahead, the signal turned green and the taxi moved forward and vanished around a corner. Behind Jellal, several angry drivers were honking constantly for his car to move forward. Gordon peeked out of the window looking worried.

"Sir?" he called out.

Jellal shook his head and laughed at his own stupidity. Sloppily, he dragged himself back into his car, shielding his eyes from the glare of lights falling on his face as he made his way back. Once inside the car, he apologised to his driver and immediately picked up his MacBook to distract himself. He thought it was the only way to get his mind off the events that had just occurred.

_What the hell was I thinking?_

The presentation left unaltered before him, Jellal thought about what had transpired just a few seconds ago. Only a glimpse had been enough to send his world into frenzy. A single thought had turned him into the helpless person that he'd been when Ultear had left him alone on the threshold two years ago. He could still see her moving away from him, the trolley bag trailing behind her as she walked on without casting so much as a glance in his direction. A small parting speech and she'd left, never to be seen around again.

It was almost treacherous to admit, but the truth was something that Jellal couldn't deny. Despite having reassured himself multiple times that he'd gotten over his first and only relationship, Jellal had never truly recovered from the blow. The wounds were still fresh inside his heart, making him feel like the breakup had happened just a day ago. Despite having been left behind without so much as a decent explanation, he still couldn't put the blame on Ultear. His gut told him there was more to it than he was ready to admit, and he would give anything to have at least a word with her again. Explanation was something that he deserved, even if he knew there was no way things could go back to being the way they used to be. The damage had been done, but the reasons had never been given.

And this was precisely why Jellal faultily assumed that reasons could provide him with the closure that he desperately needed.

_If only you could tell me where I went wrong._

Jellal sighed and looked out of the window once again. The MacBook had been pushed aside for the second time, unsuccessful as it had been in distracting him and changing the direction that his thoughts went in. Like a broken record inside his mind, a heart wrenching scene from two years ago played before his eyes, reminding him for the umpteenth time that there are some memories in life that you can never escape from. Such was Jellal's acceptance for this bitter reality that he didn't even bother trying to get away from them. He accepted the memories with open arms, taking them as a reward for the deeds committed throughout his life.

* * *

Erza Scarlet became a busy body the day that followed.

Not because she'd some particularly time consuming work to do at school.

Not because she'd to do the monthly cleaning of her store room and take out all the junk for recycling and stuff.

And certainly not because she'd to go through a rerun of her favourite sitcom on TV to make up for a week worth of episodes that she'd failed to watch.

All of this wasn't even the least of her concerns as she paced her bedroom with a paper in her hands, drawing up options for the best anniversary gift she could afford within her budget. While acquiescing involuntarily had been a blunder on her part, and she was under no obligation, whatsoever, to bring a gift for the couple, Erza didn't want to feel awkward by turning up empty-handed at a party as high-end as the one she'd been invited to. Natsu wasn't being of much help as usual (and this was particularly because he was not enthusiastic about selecting a gift for the 'asstard with a heart made up of ice', as he called Mr Fullbuster) and Levy too was busy with some new story in her office, leaving Erza with the huge responsibility of selecting an apt gift within the budget.

_This is so frustrating!_

She'd practically taken at least hundred rounds of her room by now. The paper in her hands was technically empty, save the two ridiculous options she'd written so far, and she was having some sort of a 'list-block', as she creatively worded the helpless situation that she was in.

_Think Erza! Think! Use your grey matter a little more than usual today._

No matter how much she cudgelled her brains to come up with a viable solution, she could do nothing but stare at an almost empty sheet in her hands, her creativity evading her at a time when she needed it the most.

_Dammit!_

She ran her foot into a nearby side-table, almost toppling it over with the force that she exerted. However, that did little to soothe her nerves and help her mental facilities to come up with an option.

_I think I know what needs to be done now, _Erza thought at length, coming up with plan B inside her head. While not going for the party altogether was an option that seemed attractive in the short-run, she knew it wasn't feasible enough at a time when Scarlet and Dragneel had become fascinating names for the two business tycoons that they had stumbled upon almost a week and a half back at Carlton. Erza had this distinct feeling that her absence wouldn't go unnoticed, so it was better for her to resolve her little 'list-block' at the moment and oblige her guests by showing up at their grand affair day after tomorrow.

She quickly combed her hair and grabbed her wallet and a sling bang before slipping into her bellies. She decided to scour some shops and showrooms down the street and looked at it as a better option over sitting at one place and coming up with ideas that never made it to her useless list. Perhaps, walking through shops and looking at stuff would give her a better idea about what she could buy as a gift for the Fullbusters. Even better, she might find something that would appeal to her and buy it immediately, ending her problems there and then.

With a new found enthusiasm for plan B in her heart, Erza almost ran down the street that stretched in front of her apartment, walking briskly towards the market place that was the heart of this locality. While the market was known for selling stuff that couldn't even scratch the surface of 'burning a hole in your pocket', there were many classy gift shops and showrooms that you could go into to buy a decent gift for the 'well-off'.

Once in the marketplace, Erza was taken aback by the sheer intensity of the crowd that almost clogged the square on all sides. After the light drizzle last night, the temperature had promised to be a little bearable today, but to the utter misfortune of the citizens of Magnolia, the heat and humidity had returned with an ugly strike by afternoon. Right now, Erza's cotton dress was soaked through in sweat and the congestion on the streets wasn't doing any good to her either. Quickly spotting the shop that she'd been looking for, Erza made her way through the throng with vigour, dying to get away from the humid atmosphere to enter the air conditioned shop.

Once inside, Erza heaved a sigh of relief; not just because she'd managed to escape the heat outside, but also because she'd a feeling she'd chosen the right place in the process. Shelves after shelves of beautiful decoration pieces from world over stretched in front of her, promising to resolve the block that she'd had to deal with the entire afternoon.

_Bulls eye, _Erza muttered to herself as she walked further down the first aisle before her, amazed at how she'd never considered coming to this shop in the first place. It was a pretty well-known spot for buying exquisite stuff, and the owner was famous in the neighbourhood for being an avid collector of gorgeous show pieces from around the globe.

A smart looking middle-aged female with a permanent smile on her face came up from behind an aisle lined with delicately embroidered shawls, startling Erza.

"Are you looking for something particular, young lady?" she asked in a sweet voice and Erza nodded in vigour.

"Something for a…friend's wedding anniversary. I mean, I don't know him too well. He's just an acquaintance."

The woman nodded and led her almost immediately through the aisle towards a shelf at the end of the shop.

"Since it's an acquaintance's anniversary party, you should gift him and his wife something economical and to the point…like this bottle of _Fenny_ from the orient. Surprisingly, it's not as expensive as your _Bordeaux _or any such budget buster. It's got a nice tangy taste and would be the perfect gift for this party in my opinion." The lady pointed at a long bottle of an unheard alcoholic beverage kept on one of the shelves.

"Never heard of it," mumbled Erza, looking at the bottle curiously.

"Of course you haven't," the female said jovially. "It's a thing from the eastern lands. I bought these babies a while ago."

Erza grabbed the bottle and looked at it from all angles. It seemed to be a decent gift to her and the price was acceptable as well.

"Alright," she said finally when she was done observing the bottle. "I'll buy this."

"Do you want this gift-wrapped?"

"Sure. Thanks for that."

The lady smiled and moved towards the counter. Erza lingered at the shelves a bit longer, though. She made a mental note to come to this place again to buy decoration pieces for some empty corners in her drawing room.

The gift all wrapped up and the payment made, Erza walked out of the shop with a spring in her step, happy that she'd managed to find a decent solution to her problem in such a little amount of time. Thankfully, she wouldn't have to waste an entire day thinking about what gift to buy for a guy she'd been around for no more than forty-eight hours. Such was her enthusiasm at having solved the crisis in no time that she didn't even feel bothered by the heat or crowd anymore. Jubilantly, she made her way back home while humming a sweet tune, confident that this was the last of her problems for the day.

That was before she saw something that made her skin crawl and her heart beat stop for a second.

Some metres up ahead at a construction site lined with the road, a worker on the third floor seemed to be having some problem handling a thin, but lethal rod of iron. He staggered as he helped a few of his co-workers put the iron-rod in place, but Erza could see they were having immense problems with it. The rod swung dangerously a few feet above the ground, hovering over a female who was mending a fold in her dress, oblivious to the danger lurking overhead.

Erza only had the time to get her out of the way.

The worker up ahead lost his balance and the rod came spiralling down, two seconds away from fatally wounding the female.

"LOOK OUT!" Erza screamed at the top of her lungs, dashing forward after discarding the gift wrapped bottle in her hands. Within a blink of an eye, she'd reached the woman and pushed her out of harm's way, managing to evade the danger herself to some extent. A second after she'd rammed herself into the female, the two women went sprawling across the floor, Erza on top of the stranger as the rod fell with a deafening clang behind her, catching her left hand in the process. A shrill yell of pain escaped her lips as she felt her hand crush under the bar.

_SHIT._

"Good lord Mavis. Are you OK?" the female inquired almost immediately, collecting her bearings and helping Erza retrieve her almost numb hand from underneath the rod.

"Oh no. This looks bad."

Erza could only see stars up ahead.

"I'm fine," she lied with much confidence, although her insides were screaming otherwise. The pain in her left arm was mind-numbing, and the crowd that had started to gather around them was disorienting.

"Come with me. I'm a doctor," the woman said immediately, her bright blue irises, the only thing Erza could see through her half-lidded eyes. "My friend has a clinic just round the corner. Both of us can help you with this."

Erza conceded without protest. She bit her lip to keep back the groan that had almost made it through them. Up on the third floor of the half-constructed duplex, the construction workers shouted their apologies in terror. Erza had almost decided to turn around and blast them off for their recklessness when the woman who now supported her, whispered something along the lines of noting down the name of the construction company and giving them a piece of her mind later in the day.

"Don't worry. We're almost there." She said then, supporting almost all of Erza's weight on her shoulders as they lumbered towards a smart looking building at the corner of the street.

Once inside the clinic, the blue-eyed woman got down to work straightaway.

"Come with me. We'll give you immediate first aid treatment."

Out of the corner of her eyes, Erza could see her bloody hand being lifted gingerly by the female as a second person came bursting into the room where she had been asked to sit.

"Mind helping me out with this Kinana?" Erza heard the blue-eyed female say to the purple-haired newcomer, and there were sounds of scurrying feet and drawers being opened.

"I'm on it," said the second woman, a note of urgency in her tone.

Erza lifted her head a little to have a better look at the woman who was tending to her wounds. She could see that she was a very pretty lady with long silver hair and blue eyes as mentioned before. Her features were gentle and tender, and it seemed from the way she handled the wound with great care, that she was pretty good at handling her paraphernalia. There was something gentle and serene about her demeanour, and in the instance that Erza turned to look at how her hand was doing, she didn't fail to notice the slight swell of the female's belly.

_Thank god for that, _she whispered to herself, happy that she'd managed to save an innocent life today.

"Doesn't look like a fracture to me," the silver haired woman said, examining the hand as she cleaned the wound and applied some ointment. "The rod only grazed your skin a bit. Although, I'm not the kind of doctor who can help you out with this. Kinana's the one who can tell better."

And sure enough, the second female who owned the clinic came dashing in, taking over from the silver haired female and doing a thorough examination on her part. She quickly slipped a tetanus shot up her sleeve and punched it in.

"We'll have your hand X-rayed immediately. But I'm pretty sure it's not a fracture. What happened here Mira-san?"

"This brave woman saved me from a falling rod today. Her hand got caught in the process."

"Oh."

Erza was immediately ushered into a room where a quick X-ray of her hand was taken. While the reports were being observed, the silver-haired lady named Mira went back to covering Erza's hand with a clean bandage. The pain was still present, but the ointment seemed to be doing its job quite effectively. Erza's vision had become clearer now, and she could make out even the littlest of details in her surroundings.

"What's your name?" the doctor asked, a note of gratitude in her tone.

"Erza Scarlet."

"Thank you Ms Erza. I don't have words to express my gratefulness. I shouldn't have been so careless, especially when…" she turned to look at her belly.

"It's OK," Erza said then, noticing the guilt in her beautiful blue eyes. "Things…happen."

"I'm Mirajane. Dr. Mirajane. I live in West Magnolia. I came here to meet my friend, Dr. Kinana."

The purple haired doctor waved cheerfully from where she observed the image of Erza's ghostly looking hand with its bones and joints all exposed.

"Just as I thought. No fracture." She declared.

"That takes some intensity out of your situation. Fractures are a pain to handle. And I don't just mean that literally," Dr. Mira winked as she tugged the bandage in place with a clip. "There you go," she added, straightening Erza's bent palm a little, causing the latter to bite back a moan.

Dr. Kinana joined them shortly after, carrying a prescription sheet in her hands.

"Here. I've written down everything that you'll need to take care of that wound. I know it must be hurting like hell right now, but it could've been worse. Your hand will be fine in a week or so."

"Thanks," mumbled Erza, managing to pull off a smile. "How much?" she added, pointing at her bandaged hand.

"You cannot be serious Ms Erza," Dr. Mira said immediately, looking almost appalled.

"We can't possibly charge you for this. I'll pay on your behalf."

Erza opened her mouth to protest, to tell her that it wasn't that big a deal, when Dr Kinana joined in and seconded her friend.

"I agree. I'm not taking a penny from a person who saved a pregnant woman's life. It'll be outrageous if I do."

Erza gave in and smiled at the two doctors.

"Tell me Ms Erza. Do you live somewhere around? I can drop you or walk you back home." Dr. Mira quipped.

Erza shook her head almost immediately.

"That will be fine Dr. Mira. I'm feeling a little better now. Besides, I live just two streets down."

"Which is even better. I can walk you home at least. Please don't say no. Let me express my gratitude fully."

Erza had no choice but to concede. It was funny how this was the second time in a week that she'd managed to almost break a bone in her body. It made her feel like Natsu's words from a few days back were true after all. She was becoming a little careless these days. Only a few weeks back, she could have kept the woman from harm's way without injuring her hand in the process.

"Thanks," she mumbled as she flexed her left hand a little, grunting as a sharp pain spiralled up her arm.

_This just adds to my list of troubles, _she sighed.

* * *

Walking down the street that led to Rosewood apartments, Erza and Dr. Mira had a good time bonding and chatting. The five minute journey seemed like a half an hour journey, owing to the fact that two females literally mooched up the street as if they were in a park, talking about stuff from around the world. After a long time, Erza could tell that she'd found someone with whom she could talk non-stop for hours, and the conversation felt good, especially after a long day that she'd to literally struggle through.

The good feeling didn't last any longer, though. Erza remembered something crucial as she made it past the apartment gates.

"Oh," she gasped, faltering in her steps as she thought about the reason she'd stepped out of her apartment today. "The gift…"

Dr. Mira turned to look at Erza with confusion written all over her face.

"I beg your pardon?"

"The gift," Erza repeated, her heart sinking as she thought about her precious bottle of _Fenny _lying broken and wasted on the road. "I'd bought-" she bit her lip. The topic was of no consequence to the silver haired lady.

"Nothing. Forget about it."

Dr. Mira decided to leave it at that, but something shifted in her eyes all of sudden, making it seem like a thought had suddenly struck her.

"Oh! I remember now! You had a gift wrapped pack with you if I'm not wrong! A bottle of some sort? I remember something crashing on the sidewalk when you pushed me out of the way."

Erza nodded.

"It was a gift for someone's anniversary. Never mind, I'll buy a new one."

"Oh no you won't," Dr Mira cut in, waving her hand dismissively. "I mean, you don't have to," she added, as she noted the look of surprise on Erza's face.

"If it was an alcoholic beverage of some sort, I'll give you a nice replacement for it. As it is, I feel I owe you _a lot _in return," she said with a gentle smile on her face.

Erza's eyes widened a little as she absorbed the proposition.

"I've this old _Merlot _at home. I'll have it sent to you by my driver. Just give me your house number and you'll have it in an hour."

_A Merlot._

"Please don't trouble yourself with this," Erza replied immediately, shaking her head so hard that it was in the danger of falling off her neck.

"I'll come up with something. I'll manage," she said confidently, although she knew there was no way she could get a better replacement for the oriental rarity that was now lying smashed on the road.

"I insist," Dr. Mira pressed it further, putting a comforting hand on Erza's shoulder. "If you think it's trouble sending you a _Merlot_, worry not! My sister actually works for the people who make it, so we have an abundant supply at home. Giving out a bottle won't be much trouble. Trust me." She said this with so much amiability in her tone that Erza had to agree in the end.

"Thanks for that. I appreciate it, really," the redhead replied, sighing within. They had reached her apartment door now, and Dr. Mira took a quick mental note of her house number. One quick call to her driver and she was done making arrangements for the bottle to be dispatched and received within an hour.

"I'll be leaving now Ms Scarlet," she said, as Erza made a gesture for her to enter. "I've a case to work on and a patient to tend to this evening. But I'll come around someday to get to know you better." She smiled as she made her promise.

Being honest to herself, Erza admitted she felt a little disappointed as Dr. Mira prepared to leave. She'd thought she would spend some more time with the well-spoken lady and extend a hand of friendship towards her, but a doctor certainly doesn't have much time to spare, Erza assumed. Her patients were definitely her first priority.

"I live and work in Central Magnolia," the silver haired woman said, before she pressed the button for the elevator to come up. "Here's my card. If you need any kind of help, feel free to call me up. And thanks once again for… pushing me out of the way Erza. You've saved two lives today," she winked as she ran a hand over the slight swell of her belly.

Erza accepted the card with a bright smile on her face and waved goodbye to the doctor as she disappeared down the elevator, not before making a gesture that her hand was fine and that she would take good care of herself.

Feeling a little better about her day- now that she'd managed to talk to someone amiable in a long while- Erza almost glided back into her bedroom, the injury looking like nothing more than an inconvenience to her now. It was funny how everything had turned out to be so perfectly convenient after the little mishap back in the street; while she'd to bear the pain of having her hand crushed under an iron rod, she'd managed to do so in the proximity of a doctor who had then got down to giving her immediate treatment, making sure the wound did not get any worse. Next, she'd made friends with a sweet lady who had promised to give her a _Merlot _in exchange for the _Fenny_ that she'd lost in an attempt to save her. All in all, barring the heavy bandage that now covered almost seventy percent of her left hand, Erza's day had come to acquire at least a semblance of normalcy after a series of glitches.

And judging by the way her life had been giving her surprises over the past few weeks, Erza was more than happy at the way things had turned out to be.

She looked at the visiting card in her hands and sighed. Dr. Mirajane Strauss turned out to be an oncologist working at _Artemis_, a world class hospital in West Magnolia.

_It's always good to know people from different walks of life, _she thought to herself, amazed at how her friend circle had hitherto been limited to a motley group of teachers, some models, a reporter and a snazzy bartender with an immense knowledge of wines and men.

_It's time I open up a bit, _Erza mused, as she picked up her phone to give a ring to the nearby drugstore. She placed the visiting card in a case meant for that purpose on a nearby table, the innocent paper lying face up in the little box, looking nothing like the gateway to mayhem that it was actually supposed to be.

* * *

**(A/N): Aaaaaaaand Mira finally shows up! I've been waiting for this moment since forever! Mirajane Strauss has an important role to play in this story in more ways than one, so watch out for her!**

**Don't even get me started on why I went on an unannounced hiatus for months. Some...things happened and then exams happened. So yeah, in a nutshell, I was surrounded by problems at all levels. But I've a two months long vacation right now and I'm planning to utilise it to the maximum. So, brace yourselves my beloved readers! (Although, I've some interning to do, so don't expect daily updates or anything supernatural like that).**

**Also, I don't know how many of you have checked out my profile recently, but I've finally decided to set up a 'subsidiary base of operations on tumblr'. So yeah, for those who have an account on tumblr, I'm always up for a chat and bonding over OTPs and stuff like that. If you have a question or two, or if you just want to connect with me and fangirl over stuff in general (and I don't mean that in a creepy, stalker-like way), I'm always up and running :)  
**

**I find it important to announce that I've been doing a clean-up of my fics over the past one month. It's nothing but a regular scan to weed out mistakes and typos that I might have missed while proof-reading for the first time. I've made some minor changes to this fic- nothing too big to alter the course of this story- and the biggest change so far is a fluffy Gruvia scene I added in Chapter nine. Go check it out!**

**Thanks to all those who have reviewed, followed and liked my story. You guys are the most amazing readers in this world!**


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